Nonexistent Fairytale
by Paper Bear
Summary: The King of Hyrule throws a competition with Link as the prize. Malon finds herself caught in the middle of the chaos, but she soon realizes the prize may not be as bad as she thought. A Link and Malon story.
1. Chapter One

**Author's Notes:** One day I'll get around to revising earlier chapters since they are very outdated and are desperately in need of revision. Until then, enjoy what's here. Feedback is, of course, always welcomed.

**Nonexistent Fairytale**  
_by Paper Bear_

Fairytales; fanciful tales of interesting, but highly implausible, events told to amuse children. Most fairytales were of princesses in peril awaiting their knight in shining armor to rescue them. And the ending was always the same; the hero and princess lived happily ever after.

But reality was different. The future was never predictable.

There were no striking knights in shining armor. There were no elaborate castles in the sky. There were no evil witches or fire-breathing dragons. Those fictitious ideas lived only in the hearts and minds of all dreamers striving to escape reality.

But reality was unforgiving. Despite how much one may dream, reality followed closely behind.

This was something Malon had come to terms with.

The young woman wiped the sweat from her forehead with her dainty handkerchief. She had been working vigorously since morning but had finally finished her chores. Malon sighed and placed the broom in the corner of the room. "Phew. I think I'm finished with all my chores. Time to take a break," she sighed in relief.

Malon took a seat in one of the chairs nearby. Slouching her shoulders slightly, her long, crimson hair fell over her chest. She took her bothersome hair with one hand and threw it over her shoulders. Despite how much her hair irritated her at times, she remembered a certain someone loved her long hair. Smiling, she ran her fingers through the lengthy red locks. "He'd be mad if I cut it again," she said with a giggle.

"Finished already?" said a voice from behind.

"Yes. It wasn't that much work," she replied without turning her head toward the voice.

With a quick nod of the head, Talon walked down the stairs and took a seat next to his daughter. "You work hard everyday. You've got to learn how to relax sometimes."

Malon half-smiled. "If I _relaxed _as much as you, nothing would get done."

Her father only laughed at her witty comment before reaching for a glass of water. "I came to tell you that Ingo and I are leaving early tomorrow morning. There are some important deliveries that need to be delivered. I'm going to leave the ranch in your care for tomorrow. You'll be okay by yourself, right?"

Malon only nodded in response.

Talon stood, patting his daughter on her back before he left the room. "I knew you could do it."

She sighed, tracing an invisible pattern on the tabletop. She had no problem with watching the ranch while her father was away on business; however, she was not pleased with the idea of being alone on her nineteenth birthday. It was the same thing every year. There were no parties or presents. It was just a normal day for her.

She was tired of repeating herself year after year. "Father, tomorrow is my birthday. Please don't forget," she would say to Talon. Despite her pleas, something always came up and her father would become too occupied with something else. She accepted his excuses and smiled. "It's okay. I understand," was her reply each year. She wanted to protect the remnants of her pride even if it meant lying to herself.

Looking out the window, Malon stood and pushed the chair in. It was almost midnight and Malon needed to rest. She had a long day of work awaiting her. She quickly finished whatever remaining chores she had forgotten and then trudged slowly upstairs. Changing into her night clothes, Malon hopped into her bed. With an exaggerated yawn, she stretched her arms above her head before drifting off into a well-needed sleep.

* * *

_Malon wrapped her arms around her back and pouted sheepishly. "So, you're leaving again? The king loves to keep you busy, doesn't he? I hardly ever see you anymore," she said dolefully as she swayed back and forth._

_He cracked a smile. "I know, Mal. I'm really sorry."_

_Malon blushed. His smile, his voice, everything about him was perfect. He was the Hero of Time, strong and brave as ever. There was no denying on Malon's part that she cared deeply for him. He was the only person she ever considered a best friend._

_He was the only person she ever considered more than a friend, too._

_Link tilted his head sideways. "Are you okay? You seem upset."_

_Malon turned her head toward his. "Well, you're leaving again. Why would I be happy about that?"_

_Link sighed. "You know I can't help it, Mal. I promise I'll make it up to you when I return."_

_The red-haired girl shook her head. "It's all right. I'm just being unreasonable right now," she replied, sighing. She slowly approached a large tree and sat under its shade. "I mean, I'm being selfish… I just want to keep you here at the ranch all to myself."_

_Link, laughing, sat next her. He gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Malon was the first person who befriended him once he began his journey many years ago. And over the years after Ganondorf had been defeated, they had become even closer friends. He found peace with her._

_Link smiled inwardly. Although he never admitted it, he was attracted to the young woman. "I really do wish I could stay with you. I understand that you get lonely sometimes. I mean, horses can only keep you so much company," he replied jokingly._

_Malon, punching Link playfully in the arm, furrowed her eyebrows. "And I know how much you enjoy cleaning the stables. If you want, I can put you to work right now," she grinned._

"_Ah! No! I was only joking, Mal!" Link pleaded with the red-headed girl._

_She giggled again. "I know. I know. It's fun to mess with you."_

"_Laughing at my expense, eh? You're not very nice," Link pouted._

"_Making fun of people isn't very nice either, you know?" she replied with a half-smile._

"_Aw. You know I was only kidding. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," he replied, hugging the young woman's side with his free arm. "I'm sorry, Malon."_

_She, looking down at her feet, smiled. "It's okay."_

_Link stood up and dusted his tunic with his hands. "I better leave now. I'll be back soon, I promise. It's not really important, but you know how the king is."_

_Malon nodded. "I understand. Take care, okay?"_

_Nodding, Link mounted his horse, Epona, and turned toward Malon. He waved and gave the woman one last smile before his figure vanished from Malon's sight._

* * *

Malon slowly opened her eyes. Sitting up, she stretched--almost like a cat--before kicking off her sheets. How long had it been since she last saw Link? "_Too long,"_ she thought to herself. Placing her two feet flat on the cold, wooden floor, she quickly ventured to her closest and pulled out the day's clothes. 

It did not take her too long to register in her mind what day it was; it was her birthday.

"Happy Birthday," she murmured sarcastically to herself as she threw her dress on. "Let's celebrate the day with chores, chores, and more chores."

Malon ran her fingers through her long tresses. No matter how hard she tried, she could not rid her mind of one person. She sighed, reaching for her brush. She missed him. There was no denying that. She wished he would still make frequent visits to the ranch. After he returned from his not-entirely-important mission from the king, he had paid one last visit to the ranch to let Malon know everything went well.

And that was it.

The young woman had no idea how he was at that moment or anything else for that matter. She was tempted to send him a letter but disregarded the idea. "_He's probably very busy. I shouldn't get so worked up over it,"_ she thought as she brushed the vexing knots from her hair.

After tending to her hair, she gently set the brush back onto the table and left the room. "Hm. I think I'll make some breakfast and then I'll start my chores," she said to herself as she made her way down the stairs. "Then I'll probably pick up a few needed things at the market today," she rubbed her forehead with her finger. "I wish my father wouldn't procrastinate so much."

Upon reaching the final step she noticed an envelope lying sketchily on the table. Next to the envelope was sloppy note from her father. Even at the distance she was at then, she could recognize her father's handwriting anywhere. She half-smiled. "I wonder what that could be," she said thoughtlessly before taking a seat at the table. She first reached for the letter from her father. "'Malon, Happy Birthday. I'm sorry I can't spend the day with you. I hope you understand. Oh, this letter came in for you this morning. Take care,'" she read aloud, smiling.

"He remembered after all. I'm so glad," she said, sighing in relief.

Satisfied with what she had just read, she reached for the milky-colored envelope. Her eyes skimmed over the fancy envelope. Her eyes, however, stopped scanning the cover once she noticed the seal. It was the royal family's seal from the castle. Without thinking she hastily ripped the top off the envelope and read its contents.

'_You have been cordially invited to a very important meeting at the Hyrule Castle. Please be at the castle by noon today.'_

Malon restrained herself from squealing like a child. Had Link remembered her birthday? It had been so long since they last spoke with each other. However, seeing the letter allayed Malon's qualms. Certainly it was from Link. Who else from the castle would send her a letter?

The red-headed woman clapped her hands together happily before grabbing a piece of scratch paper and a writing utensil. "If I have to be there by noon, I ought to get started with my chores. I'll just leave a note for my father while I'm away to let him know where I'm at if he comes home early," she mumbled to herself as she jotted down a quick note for her father.

She sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. Would she really see Link again? Was he behind this meeting? Did he plan on surprising her on her birthday? Her mind was bombarded with many different thoughts. She giggled slightly as she scanned the letter again. "This is so hard to believe! I mean, I haven't heard from him in months and then suddenly this… It seems so surreal."

Malon shook her head. Without questioning the letter further the young woman immediately tended to all the barn animals and the other chores she had yet to begin. Although quickly, she finished her chores rather sloppily. She was too anxious to spend any more time than necessary with her chores.

She clapped her hands together and planted them on her hips. "All done here! Wow! That's the fastest I've ever finished my chores. Well, except those times when Link helped…"

She walked into the house with a skip in her step. She could not bear going to visit Link smelling like barn animals. She quickly cleaned herself and changed into fresh clothes. She paused momentarily and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Satisfied with herself, she smiled and swiped the letter from the table. "Link, here I come!"

**Notes: **I'll warn you now before you continue further: **this story is full of random humor and odd situations. **Don't freak out (too much) with certain things. It all works out in the end. With that said, thank you for taking the time to read and feedback is always welcomed.


	2. Chapter Two

Peace; a simple luxury often taken for granted. Peace was neither everlasting nor transient. It was a state of tranquility that could be taken away from humanity at any given time but could remain stable if one were to protect it. Ganondorf had been defeated two years ago. Hyrule had flourished from the peace Link had fought so valiantly to preserve. The people were happy. The kingdom was safe. And despite all of Link's achievements, he had not found his peace of mind.

He was the Hero of Time, the chosen one hand-picked by the almighty goddesses to travel through time to save a kingdom. He was the protector of the innocent and savior of a kingdom. He was a man constrained to duty and fate; peace of mind did not exist for him.

And at that moment the young man was suffering from a severe case of boredom.

Link sighed as he rested his head in the palm of his hand. He stared at his plate, poking the remnants of his food with his fork. "_When will this day end? It feels like forever,"_ the blonde-haired man thought to himself, sighing inwardly.

At the opposite end of the table was the King of Hyrule, a loved and highly respected figure in Hyrule. The king was a good-natured man, and he was never seen without a smile on his face. Although Link looked up to the older man, the king often sent Link on ridiculous _missions_. The most ridiculous mission in Link's memory was the time Link had to help a stuffed animal give birth. Link's eye twitched at the memory.

* * *

"_Link! Link come here!" the king yelled urgently._

_Link quickly rushed into the room. His hand rested securely on the hilt of his sword. The young man scanned the room for any signs of danger. "What's wrong?" he, noticing the king was the only person in the room, asked.  
_

_The king pointed toward a box in the corner of the room. "You've got to help! It's Carlito!"_

_Link tilted his head in slight confusion. "Huh? Carlito--oh, your stuffed bear," he replied dryly, taking his hand from the hilt of his blade. "I thought there was something wrong."_

_The king narrowed his eyes. "Don't be so cruel! You're supposed to help people in need!"_

_Link sighed. "But Carlito isn't a person. He's a stuffed bear that you've had since you were a child. I'm surprised it's still intact."_

"_Carlito has feelings, too, and you just hurt them!" the king yelled, crossing his arms over his chest. "You are a cold man."_

_Link rubbed his temples. "All right. Fine. What's wrong with Carlito this time?" he replied as he approached the box in the corner._

"_Carlito's giving birth!"_

"…"

"_There's no time to stall! You've got to help him!" the king cried urgently._

"_Isn't…Isn't Carlito a…boy?" a confused Link asked._

"_That's not the point! You've got to help him before it's too late!"_

"_All right! All right! I'm going," Link grumbled as he examined the stuffed animal. "I don't see anything…"_

_The king glowered at Link. "You're not even trying. Can't you see he's in pain right now?"_

_Link's shoulders slouched. It was going to be a long day._

"_Look, just talk to Carlito and comfort him," the king instructed._

_Defeated, Link cleared his throat and attempted to comfort the stuffed animal. "Um… Carlito… How are you feeling today? Uh… It's a beautiful day outside, you know? Yeah… Um… Have you ever considered…uh… not having kids?"_

"_Link! The baby's coming!" the king shouted. But Link could hear the king laughing at him._

_The blonde-haired man grumbled. The king always loved to play with the young man's mind. "What baby? There is no baby!"_

_The king pushed Link closer to the stuffed animal. "Get your hands ready! Carlito's going to push on the count of three. One. Two. Three. Push!"_

_The stuffed animal did not move._

"_Push!"_

_Still no movement._

_Link sighed, holding out his hands in front of Carlito._

"_Push!"_

"_I hate my life…" Link grumbled._

"_One more push!"_

_Suddenly, a huge ball of cotton landed in Link's hand, courtesy of the king._

"…"

"_It's so beautiful!" the king said with teary eyes._

"_It's a ball of cotton. How is this beautiful?" Link replied grimly, wanting to toss the ball of cotton out the window. _

_The king took the ball of cotton from Link__'__s grip and examined it. "This isn't a baby! You lied to me, Carlito! You lying, no good, son of a stuffed animal factory! This is a ball of cotton!"_

"_That's what I just said!" Link cried, throwing his hands in the air._

_The king tossed the ball of cotton over his shoulders. "Well done, Link! You successfully completed yet another mission."_

"…"

"_Hm. Let's have a banquet to celebrate your victory!"_

"_You mean you made me come all the way to the castle just to make me help your teddy bear give birth to a ball of cotton! You said it was an important mission that I may be away for a long time! I told her I'd be away for a while and all I was doing was THIS!" snapped Link._

_The king narrowed his eyes. "Ah, you spend too much time at Lon Lon Ranch anyway. If you keep spending time with those horses, you're going to lose your touch. I can't let that happen knowing that Hyrule could be in peril again one day. What kind of king would I be then?"_

_Link's eye twitched. "How do you come up with all these ideas…?"_

"_Ah… You know, I don't know. I must be a genius thinking of these ideas from the top of my head," the king mused._

"_Yeah… Right…"_

* * *

Despite the king's odd sense of humor, he was a very wise leader; however, his actions often contradicted his wisdom and good leadership abilities. Link had seen this first hand during the reconstruction of Hyrule. Even he was impressed by the king's leadership. But the king kept true to his childish demeanor and his 'you only live once' motto by sending Link on pointless missions and pulling pranks on him and the other innocent residents of Hyrule Castle. 

But eventually, the king's lively character worn off on Link.

Link was pulled from his thoughts by the thunderous voice of the king. "Link, my boy! You don't look like you're enjoying yourself?"

"Uh… I'm just tired, that's all," he replied with an excuse.

The king laughed, seemingly not convinced by Link's words. "I've heard that one before."

"If you desire, you may leave at anytime. You are not obligated to stay at this banquet," added the voice of reason of the royal family, Princess Zelda, who sat next to her father. It was she who came to the rescue when her father was unreasonable.

The king coughed loudly. "Well, perhaps it's time that we all get ready for bed. It has been a long day."

Link sighed in relief as he stood from the table. The king had a tendency to throw pointless banquets almost everyday. Everyday was one big party with the king. As Link was leaving the banquet hall he was stopped by the king. "Hold on there, Link. I need to speak with you," he called out as he was giving his final goodbyes to his guests.

Link felt a cold chill run down his spine. When will he ever escape?

"Uh… What's wrong?" Link asked innocently.

The king briskly walked toward Link. He stopped in front of the young man and smiled. "You know, I've been thinking. I've never given you anything for all you've done for my kingdom."

Link scratched the back of his neck. "It's okay. I don't really need anything."

The king half-smiled. "Well, I've already came up with the best prize for you. I've been thinking about it for a while, and I'm really proud of the idea."

Link shook his head. "I'm honored that you want to reward me but I don't need a reward. I'm happy with helping people. That's enough of a reward for me."

"Ha! Ha! You've always been the modest one," the king laughed but his face quickly changed from happy to serious. "But seriously, you're going to accept this gift."

"Uh…" Link cleared his throat nervously. If there was one thing Link had learned from over the years it was not to make the king angry. "You know, on second thought, I would be honored to accept your gift."

"That's what I want to hear!" the king patted Link's shoulders roughly. "I'll have everything prepared for you in the morning."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow," the king answered reassuringly.

"Tomorrow is an important day for me. You see, it's my friend's birthday. I want to surprise her tomorrow since I haven't been able to visit her in a while," said Link.

"Hmph. What is her name?" the king asked brusquely.

"Malon. Her father owns Lon Lon Ranch," he answered.

The king nodded. "Ah… Her. Well, maybe I can arrange something for you and her tomorrow. That would be quite a pleasant surprise for her, wouldn't it?"

Link smiled. "Yeah, it would."

The king laughed. "Yes. Yes. Well, now you and I better be off to bed. Tomorrow will come quicker than you think."

"You're right. Well, good night then," he replied with a quick nod of the head before leaving the room.

The king grinned, turning toward one of his servants. "Add Malon to the list. I've had a quick change of plans."

The servant nodded obediently, leaving the room to complete the order the king had given him. The king turned back toward the door and smiled mischievously. "Yes, tomorrow will be quite an eventful day."

**Notes: **This chapter has been rewritten. I felt that of all my earlier chapters, this one had been one of the weaker chapters. I've tweaked a few parts in this chapter and also added a new scene featuring Carlito, the king's infamous teddy bear who was originally introduced in one of the later chapters. Feedback is always welcomed.


	3. Chapter Three

Malon's eyes scanned Hyrule Market. It was busier than usual but she quickly disregarded the observation and continued wading through the bustling market. She looked down at the letter in her hand and smiled. "I'm finally going to see him again, and when I do, I'll give him a piece of my mind. It doesn't hurt to visit sometimes," she grumbled to herself lightheartedly.

The red-haired woman stopped and looked toward the castle in the distance. "It's not too far away now. I wonder what will happen once I get there," the young woman pondered.

Suddenly her attention was drawn to an interesting item on display: a cute keaton stuffed animal. She giggled as she picked up the doll from the table and poked its stuffed belly. It was the new craze for girls of all ages in Hyrule. Unfortunately the item was too expensive for her to buy. She sighed. "It's so cute. Too bad it costs so much."

"Have you heard about a competition at the castle today?" asked an older lady who was standing near the table where Malon was.

Malon's ears perked up as she overheard the conversation. "_Competition…?"_

"No, I haven't. Where did you hear this?" replied the older woman's companion.

"I heard it from a friend who heard it from her brother who heard it from his second cousin who heard it from his grandmother who has a friend who has a son who works in the castle and overheard the king talking about it," she answered casually, catching her breath. "So it must be true!"

Her friend shook her head. "That doesn't sound very reliable though."

"Well, I'm just telling you what I heard. The king has summoned girls from all over Hyrule to compete for the Hero of Time's love. I heard that whoever wins the competition will become his bride! Oh! I wish I could have been invited!" the woman covered her face with her hands. "I envy the girl who wins."

Gasping, Malon dropped the keaton doll onto the ground. "_What? That can't be true!"_

Malon quickly knelt down and picked up the doll and carefully placed it back onto the table. Turning away from the gabbing females Malon looked at the letter she still held in her hand. Was it true? Did other women receive a letter, too? Malon shook the thought from her mind. It could not have been true. "_Link would never do something like that. I know him better than that!"_

However, Malon needed to find out if what the woman had said was true or not. Biting her lower lip nervously, she pressed forward toward the castle.

* * *

Link wrapped his index finger around his chin as he examined the item. He walked around the table with his eyes glued to gift. Frowning, he stopped. "It's crooked," he said as he straightened the ribbon. 

With a smile of satisfaction he turned his head toward the window. "She's going to love this present."

His thoughts were quickly interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. "Come in. It's opened," he answered without turning his head toward the door.

"Good morning, Link," greeted Zelda as she entered his room. "You are up early, I see."

He nodded. "I had trouble sleeping last night."

"I see. Is there anything troubling you?" she asked, concerned.

"No, it's nothing. I was just thinking, that's all," he answered casually with a shrug of the shoulders. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

"My father asked me to 'fetch' you," she replied with a giggle. "He cannot wait to give you your reward."

"Ah, I see. Your father is quite the odd ball," Link replied.

Zelda wrinkled her nose. "Perhaps, but not as much of an odd ball as you, Link," she looked down at the gift. "Oh! How adorable! You have a keaton doll!"

He smiled proudly. "Yep. I bought it yesterday. I'm giving it to my friend as a birthday present."

"Ah, your friend is very lucky. They're very expensive," she replied wisely.

"I know. I spent most of my rupees I had saved up to buy it. I don't know why they're five hundred rupees. They're just stuffed animals," Link frowned.

"I suppose the merchants are taken advantage of its popularity," Zelda replied with a sigh. "But as I was saying before, we must hurry to meet my father. He's awaiting you in the throne room with your reward."

Link's face faltered. "Oh yeah. That," he replied grimly as he followed the princess from the room.

* * *

Malon's jaw dropped. She closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. Outside the castle gates stood girls lined up in an orderly fashion. What she had overheard was true. Malon reopened her eyes and exhaled. "_They all can't be here for a birthday party," _she thought as she examined the girls further. 

They all held envelopes like hers in their hands.

The red-headed girl glowered. "I don't believe this! So this is what it was really about!"

Two guards stepped forward and opened the gates. "All right, ladies. Thank you for waiting patiently. Now, follow us and everything will be explained."

Malon watched as the women quickly followed the guards onto the castle's premises. She looked at the letter in her hand and narrowed her eyes. "_So this is why I was called to the castle. What is going on here?"_ she thought, gripping the envelope tighter before ripping it into two pieces. "_I don't believe this! Is this what Link has planned for me?"_

"Are you coming? Hurry up before we close the gates," said one of the guards tugging at Malon's arm.

"But… I…" Malon's protests quickly ended once the gates closed behind her.

* * *

"Ah! I've been waiting for you, Link," the king said cheerfully as he skipped toward the young man. He extended his arm and wrapped it around Link's shoulders. "How are you feeling on this beautiful morning?" 

Link shrugged. "I'm fine…"

The king grinned. "That's great to hear!"

Link rolled his eyes. He was too exhausted to reply to the king's unusual cheerful attitude. The blonde-haired man watched the king gleefully walk toward the balcony.

"Link, you've done so much for Hyrule. It's about time someone said 'thank you,'" the king said sincerely. "I want to reward you. You deserve something for your hard work."

Link shook his head. "I already told you, you don't have to give me anything."

"Nonsense! Don't be so modest," the king laughed, pulling Link toward the balcony's edge. "I want you to take a look at this!"

Link's eyes widened. "What are all these women doing in your courtyard?"

The king laughed, slapping Link roughly on his shoulder. "They're all for you, my dear boy. They are all here to see you."

"Excuse me?"

"You seem surprised by this. Why else would these women be here for?" asked the king, cocking his eyebrow slightly.

"A job…?"

The king sighed. "Sometimes you are more oblivious than you think…"

Link narrowed his eyes. Something about the older man's tone of voice was unsettling but Link quickly disregarded the king's words. He turned around and stared out the window. "So, this is supposed to be my reward?" he said pessimistically.

"Not quite."

Link raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Not quite? Is there something else I don't know about?"

"You're only allowed to have one of the lovely ladies."

"So I'm supposed to pick which one I want to _have_?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"No. It will be decided through a competition!" the over-exaggerating king threw his fists into the air triumphantly. "Now, let us speak to these lovely ladies!"

Link almost fell over in shock. "W-What?"

Before Link could find the right words to say the king pulled Link closer into view. Link gulped nervously. "_This is insane! A competition? For what? I've got to get out of here. This is just one bad dream,"_ Link thought to himself as he glanced at the women below.

Then his eyes scanned over a certain red-haired woman.

"Malon!" Link cried out in surprise.

The king beamed, placing his hands on his hips. "I told you I would arrange something for you and her. See, I kept my promise!"

Link slapped his forehead. "_Malon… I can't let her see me. This is too embarrassing,"_

The king turned toward the women. Clearing his voice loudly he mustered the gabbing women's attention. "You must wonder why I have called you here. I have summoned the finest women of Hyrule to my castle for a friendly competition," the king paused until the women ceased gasping in surprise. "You must be asking yourselves, 'What is this competition for?', but I assure you the prize for the winner is great. The winner of this competition will become the Hero of Time's bride!"

"_WHAT!" _Malon shouted in her thoughts.

"WHAT!" Link shouted from behind the king. "You never asked me if I wanted a wife or not! You can't just assume because I'm lonely that I _need_ a wife!"

"…"

Link cleared his throat. "Uh… Not that I _am_ lonely or anything… I was just saying…"

"Ha! Ha! Calm down, my boy. I expected you to react this way. But I assure that you will be pleased with the outcome. After all, these women will not be the only women competing," the king grinned and pointed behind Link.

Link's eye twitched. "_I think I'm going to die."_

"Hi, Link!" Saria said innocently, waving her hand.

"Saria? What are you doing here?" Link asked in disbelief.

"The king asked me if I wanted to compete. I thought it would be fun so I agreed," the emerald-haired child giggled.

"Oh Linky-poo!" Ruto called out, winking and blowing kisses to Link. "When I win this competition, we'll finally have that wedding we always wanted!"

"Pfft. As if you could win anything," Nabooru crossed her arms, turning away in disgust.

"Nabooru! And what are _you_ doing here?" Link asked, dreading the thief's answer.

"The king asked, of course. I declined his proposition but when he offered a large sum of rupees, how could I refuse?" Nabooru said, sighing. "But I only get the rupees if I win."

The king cleared his throat.

"Oops."

"You bribed Nabooru into this competition! What is wrong with you?" barked an almost deranged Link.

"Well, I thought having Nabooru could spice up the competition," he laughed nervously. "You never know, she could learn to love you."

Link slapped his forehead. "And what about you, Impa? Please tell me he didn't pay you either."

Impa shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea why I'm here."

Link sighed. "_What have I gotten myself into?"_

Finally Link turned his attention to the last female standing in line. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Zelda, _you_ were apart of this, too?"

The blonde-haired woman looked down.

"Zelda is here because I wanted her to compete. I told you I was summoning the finest women of Hyrule, and I believe my darling princess deserves this title," the king said proudly.

Link wanted to cower in the corner and pray that the whole ordeal was just a nightmare. However, a taunting voice in his head told him that it was not. Link peaked over the railing and looked down at Malon. "_Oh Nayru! Malon is going to kill me!"_ thought Link, closing his eyes.

Below the balcony the women watched above as the king chatted with the Sages. The women began to argue among themselves over who was going to win the competition. Malon, on the other hand, kept a distance from the other females and concentrated on other matters.

"I'm going to kill, Link," Malon grumbled bitterly. "What has gotten into him? No, what have _I _gotten myself into? I should have known this letter was too good to be true. Now I'm stuck here and I'm going to have to compete for something stupid!"

The fiery redhead bit her lower lip to maintain her cool. Drawing attention to herself was the last thing she wanted to do. Malon sighed inwardly, looking above toward the balcony. She took note of the other competitors: the Sages. Malon scoffed. "_We really know how to get ourselves in a mess, don't we, Link?"_

The king turned his attention toward the girls again. Smiling, he extended his hands. "Now before you ask any questions allow me to explain to you what you will be doing," he paused momentarily before speaking again. "There are ten of you ladies there, fifteen all together if you count the Sages and Princess Zelda. Only ten will be able to compete in the competition. In order to eliminate five of you, we will hold a small challenge. The first ten who finish first will be entered into the competition. The other five will return home immediately. Simple, isn't it?" the king explained, laughing.

The girls nodded, looking around at each other.

"Now, let me explain the little challenge. In order to advance, you must complete a series of obstacles, which are all hidden inside the maze you see behind you," the king stopped and pointed toward the maze located in an open field. "You must successfully finish each obstacle in order to receive a flag. Find the exit of the maze with all five flags and you are officially in the tournament. However, the last five females who cross the finish line last will be eliminated and must return home. Any questions?" The king explained again, feeling proud of his creation.

None of the females spoke up. Instead they nodded silently as they consumed the information.

Malon glanced at the obstacle course. She narrowed her eyes. "_He has to be joking? That obstacle course is huge!"_

"Before we continue with the challenge, is there anyone here who wants to leave. If you do not want to participate, now is your chance to return home. None of you ladies are obligated to compete," the king commented with a stern expression.

Link crossed his arms. "_Malon, you shouldn't be here. I don't want you to get involved in my problems. This is something I'm going to have to fix…alone."_

Malon closed her eyes, thinking. "_I don't know what to do… I really care about Link, but this competition is foolish. Do I want to stay for Link…? Or do I want to leave and forget about everything?"_ the young woman thought, clutching her fists tightly. "_Today wasn't supposed to be like this… I thought Link would have remembered my birthday. No, instead he throws this stupid competition."_

The king smiled. "No objections then? Good."

Malon bit her lip. "_I'll find out what's really going on… But to do that, I'll have to compete."_

Link looked down at his feet. "_What do I do now? These girls are all competing for a chance at becoming my wife. I never said I wanted this,"_ he turned his attention toward the king. "_Something is different. He wouldn't do this if there wasn't an explanation. Whatever the case, I've got to stop this… Somehow."_

"Link, let us prepare for the challenge. We'll have the perfect view of the maze from here," the king instructed Link to move closer to the edge where he had situated two chairs. "You must be anxious to know which of the the ten females who will compete for your love will be."

"Yeah, I can't contain my excitement any longer," Link replied sarcastically.

"That's the spirit!"

Link's eye twitched. The goddesses had abandoned him.

The girls had positioned themselves in front of the obstacle course. Their eyes were fixated on their goal. Malon breathed in a long breath of much-needed air. "_I'm so nervous… But what for? I'm not being forced to do this… Yet, I feel like I… I have to…"_

Ruto turned back toward Link and playfully winked at the young man. "Oh Link! Wish your future wife good luck!"

Link cowered in his chair. What if Ruto won? What if he had to marry Ruto? Link's life would be over instantly, he knew it. Think of their child! "_I am going to die from all this pressure," _Link thought, trying to shake the idea of marrying Ruto from his mind. "_Now's not the time to be thinking about…that. I have to think of a way to stop this madness before it explodes into something worse."_

"I wish you girls all the luck in the world. May the goddesses watch over you," he called out with a huge grin plastered on his face. "Now, get ready."

Link covered his face with his hands. "_It's too late to turn back now."_

"Get set!"

Malon gulped nervously as she prepared for what awaited her. "_It's too late to turn back now."_

"Go!"

**Notes: **Yet another chapter that I completely rewrote. This one does not have as many changes to it as the first and second chapters because it wasn't as flawed. However, I did want to capture Link and Malon's feelings better, and give Nabooru a better reason for competing than she had previously.


	4. Chapter Four

"Go!"

It was funny how a simple word could make one feel so many different emotions. Malon was anxious, determined, angry, and the list could continue forever. Something inside of the young woman motivated her to move at the sound of the king's command. Something inside of her wanted to prove herself to Link. She wanted to show him that she was more than just a helpless girl. She wanted him to notice her. She wanted to impress Link.

But Malon realized that she was in this competition for all the wrong reasons. She had convinced herself that the only reason she stayed was because she wanted to know the truth about the competition. She wanted to know if Link had really lowered himself to plan this. However, the truth was, deep down inside Malon wanted to win.

She wanted to be his wife.

"_This is ridiculous. I should not be doing this. This is...wrong."_

Doubt had made its appearance. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and searched for the flags. There were five flags; she needed to successfully complete five tasks to receive a flag. She noticed a small sign ahead which signified the first obstacle she needed to complete.

'Jump over the log to obtain the flag.'

Malon's eye twitched. "This has got to be a joke. No one would make such a stupid obstacle. Anyone can jump over a log."

The fiery red-headed girl did not think twice. "Well, if the whole competition is going to be as easy as this, I might have a chance at winning."

She did as the sign explained--she jumped. However, not onto solid ground like she had hoped. Behind the log was a deep hole covered with leaves in which Malon had fallen into. She let out a loud squeal as she fell, hitting the bottom of the hole with a loud thud.

"What in the name of Din is this?"

* * *

"What in the name of Din is that?" Link cried out. "Is that really an obstacle course or is it a torture chamber?" 

The king laughed, holding his sides. "Link, don't worry so much. Has anyone ever told you worry too much about trivial things?"

Link narrowed his eyes at the older man. "They're screaming like their being chased by monsters! Why wouldn't I worry?"

"It's all in the name of love, my son!" the king commented playfully. "Trust me, there's nothing in there that will kill them. They will be fine. A man like you is going to need a woman who can endure the same obstacles you've endured, isn't that right?"

Link's eye twitched nervously. The king was a complete psycho! All Link could think about was Malon. Was she okay? He knew Zelda and the Sages could take care of themselves, but Malon had never been in a situation quite like this.

Link felt helpless as he heard the screams coming from the obstacle course. He wanted to rush in there and help the women, but he couldn't. He could only pray that nothing bad had happened to any of them, especially Malon.

* * *

Malon wiped the dirt from her dress and picked the leaves from her hair. "How conspicuous. Leaves covering a hole. Who would ever think of such a unique trap?" she commented, sarcasm dripping from her voice like honey. "Well, I fell for it so I must be the fool." 

She looked around, knowing there had to be a way out. This was only eating her time. She needed to find a way out quickly. If she was not one of the top females who finished first she would have to return home. She did not want to go back empty-handed.

She noticed another sign above her head. _'You fell into a hole. You better get out!'_

Malon just shook her head in confusion. "Who made these signs? Ugh…"

Right under the sign was a foot hole where she could climb out from the trap. She stuck her foot into the small opening and reached for the edge of the hole. With all her arm strength, she pulled herself out of the trap with ease.

"I guess working all the time on the ranch pays off," she smiled and nodded, satisfied with her accomplishment. She walked over to the pole and grabbed a red flag imprinted with the number one. "One flag down, four more to go."

* * *

Link nervously tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. He stared intently at the exit, waiting to see a red-headed girl rush out, holding all the flags in her arms. 

No one had come out of the maze so far.

_"I just have to have patience. Everyone will come out safe and sound…body parts hopefully still intact." _Link thought to himself while switching positions in his seat.

More screams could be heard from the obstacle course, making Link's elf-ish ears twitch at every sound. "It's been over two hours. Do you think everyone is okay?" Link gulped before finishing the last question.

The king nodded reassuringly. "You can still hear them all. Lively bunch of women, they are."

Link sunk down in his chair. What did he get himself into this time?

"Ah! Your Majesty! Hero of Time! Princess Zelda is the first to exit the maze, and she has all five flags with her!" a common soldier announced to the king and Link.

A huge grin danced on the king's face. "That's my daughter! She's amazing, isn't she Link?" he laughed and elbowed Link's arm.

Link sighed. "Yeah, she's great..."

* * *

Four flags down and one more to go! Malon counted all her flags, checking the numbers on each closely. "All right! I just need one more then I can get out of here!" 

She thought of the look on Link's face when she exited the obstacle course. Would he be happy or shocked? Perhaps even both. She had endured so much in such a short time. She felt like maybe she was on her own little adventure, just like one of Link's many adventure.

She ran from Stalfos and wild animals. She jumped from rock to rock above molted lava. She avoided a string of poison arrows firing rapidly at her. Now it was time for her to complete the final task, whatever it was she was ready for it.

She approached a narrow passageway and examined the area carefully. The ceiling and walls had small holes decorating them. It was most likely another trapped she had to be careful of. At the end of the passageway was a small treasure box. Before running toward her goal, she carefully inspected the sign next to her.

'Use the correct key to open the box.'

It sounded simple enough to Malon, but after everything she had gone through to get to where she was at, she knew better than to underestimate the challenge. She grabbed the set of keys hanging below the sign. She took note of the number of keys before heading toward the box.

Taking a deep breath Malon prepared for anything. The red-headed woman took a step.

Nothing happened.

She took another step.

Nothing again.

Anyone would have been relieved, but not Malon. She knew that the obstacle was just teasing her.

She continued walking forward toward the treasure chest. Just as Malon became comfortable, she stepped on the wrong tile--a hidden button that initiated the real challenge.

The walls and ceiling began to move and sharp needles poked out from the holes she had noticed earlier. Malon's eyes grew wider. She quickly ran to the box and nervously fumbled with the keys. She stuck the first key in the lock. Nothing.

She used the next key. Nothing. The walls seemed to move faster with each second. They were getting closer to her and she still had many keys to go through.

"Come on… Come on…" she mumbled to herself. She had to hurry. She looked up and saw the ceiling come down faster as well. "Now I understand what Link had to go through."

The pressure kept building. The walls and ceiling continued moving closer. Another key failed to unlock the box. Two more keys left. If the next one didn't work, it would all be over. She inserted the key into the lock.

Click.

The walls and ceiling stopped mere inches from her. She sighed in relief as they stopped moving and retreated. "Maybe the goddesses are on my side after all," she laughed, thankful she was still alive. She opened the box and pulled out the final flag. "You almost cost me my life," she hissed, talking to the blue-colored flag.

* * *

Link watched one by one as the Sages emerged, all successful and in possession of all five flags. Ruto was the only Sage not finished with the obstacle course, and Malon was still in the maze. The blonde-haired man sighed as he continued watching. 

"Only six more openings left. Are you anxious to see who comes out next?" the king asked, grasping Link's shoulder roughly.

Link did not respond. He continued staring at the exit._ "Where is Malon? She should have been the first to complete this crazy thing! What if she got hurt? What if something ate her? What if she died from shock? What if--"_

"Another woman has come out!" the soldier pointed out, breaking Link's chain of concerns. He quickly stood up to see who she was.

It was not Malon. It was one of the seemingly-familiar village girls. The young woman had a pale face as if she had just seen a monster.

Looking at that woman made Link think. These women were going through so much just to be with him. These women were putting their lives in danger just to be_ his_ wife. He didn't understand. Why would anyone do that for him?

Why was Malon doing it for him? Had Malon gone crazy?

* * *

Ruto was still on the hunt for the last flag. She had gathered four flags in order…backwards. "If only I didn't take that wrong turn at the beginning, I wouldn't be so lost right now," she sighed and continued walking forward. 

"If I don't win this stupid competition after everything I've done, I will be so angry. I'm a Sage! I shouldn't have to do stuff like this." That's when she noticed a sign.

'Jump over the log to obtain the flag.'

"Pfft. This is too easy," she said as she leaped over the log and into the hole.

Thud.

* * *

"More women have finished, Your Majesty! There are only two more spots open." 

None of the women were Malon. They were more of Link's rabid fan girls. He sighed as he watched the women jump up and down, hugging each other and shouting happily in union.

"Another woman is coming out!" a solider shouted, gaining Link's attention.

Link was on the edge of his seat, anxiously waiting to see who number nine would be. He closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip._ "Malon…"_

He opened his eyes and saw Malon gracefully making her exit out of the obstacle course. She laid all the flags on the ground for the referees to check. They nodded and gave Malon a thumbs-up.

She was in.

Link stood up, clapping his hands at Malon's accomplishment. She did it. She made it. He knew she could do it. "Good job, Malon!"

Malon looked over her shoulder and saw Link clapping for her. She smiled and waved to him. _"I can do this."_

"There is one more spot open. We have to wait for the last contestant to complete the obstacle course," a soldier explained to Malon as she sat down to rest. "Wait…I think I see someone coming. Yes! The last contestant is coming!"

Ruto crawled out of the exit; dirt covered her face and fins. She held the flags tightly in her hands and her teeth. "I made it!" she let out a muffled sound before spitting out dirt. "I made it! I did it for you Linky-poo!"

Link sat down in his chair, twitching at the name she had called him.

The referees counted Ruto's flags and gave the Water Sage a small nod. "That's it. We have ten contestants now!"

The king stood up and cheered. "Well done ladies! You have successfully completed five obstacles and you are now in the official competition! Rest well tonight. Tomorrow begins bright and early!"

The king patted Link on the back. "Well, let's go inside and celebrate. I have a feast prepared for us!"

Link nodded and began to follow the king inside. He stopped and looked back at the obstacle course. "What ever happened to those other women?"

_

* * *

_

Back inside the obstacle course...

"Help! Can anyone hear us?" the remaining women shouted from inside the hole. "Is anyone going to get us out?"

**Notes: **I'm horrible. Very horrible. I neglected this story for months. I'm really sorry, but now I'm back to continue what I had started.


	5. Chapter Five

Anxiety; a painful and apprehensive uneasiness of the mind--a feeling Malon had become very close with. She knew that she should not have been at the castle. She knew it was distasteful to be in such a contest. What would her late mother think? But somehow, she remained in the competition. It would have been so easy to quit, so easy to go home. But she had found herself trapped in a maze with no exit.

The king was throwing a feast to congratulate the women and their victory. After the obstacle course the women were brought inside the castle and shown to their new rooms. Malon's room was big and very lavish, something she had never had before in her life.

Malon sighed as she stared at the person in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her long, red tresses. "I don't even look like a princess," she thought as she turned and stared at the elegant dress sent to her. Malon was surprised to see such a beautiful gown laying on the bed in her new bedroom.

Malon picked up the letter that had been placed on the dress and read over it again. The feast was in less than an hour and she was still dressed in her usual attire. She sighed and began changing into the dress. "I feel strange wearing this," she whispered as she looked in the mirror again. "I want to feel like a princess, even if it's just for a night."

She smiled faintly, remembering when she pretened to be a princess when she was younger. Malon laughed slightly. The memories seemed so fresh in her mind, as if they had happened just yesterday. Link would always play with her. He would come over and pretend to be her knight, fighting the cuccos with his sword and wooden shield.

He pretended to be a knight--a knight in shining armor. It was just like in a fairytale.

Malon was pulled away from her thoughts at the sound of a knock on her door. She tore her eyes away from the mirror and answered the door.

"Miss Malon, I came to tell you that the banquet begins in twenty minutes. Please be there on time," a soldier stuttered nervously as if he had never seen a pretty girl.

She nodded and muttered a 'thank you' before closing the door. She turned back to the mirror and straightened her dress. She looked at her plain hair style and frowned. "Perhaps I should do something about this?"

She took her hair and tied it into a loose ponytail, allowing a few strands to cover her eyes. Malon sighed, giving her reflection a dissatisfied frown. She shook her head. "I'm going to be the worse dressed at the banquet," she glared at the mirror. "I'll never be able to compete with the Sages or Princess Zelda."

Malon bit her lip. She knew better than to talk down about herself. It would not solve anything.

At that moment she noticed something laying on her bed--a tiara and a pair of earrings. She wondered why she didn't notice it before, although it had lay hidden under the dress and it was almost obscured from her view. Her saddened expression slowly lifted as she picked up the tiara. She studied it closely, noticing that the diamonds were not just any diamonds--they were Hylian diamonds, the rarest and most beautiful diamonds in all of Hyrule.

"Am I even allowed to wear something like this?" she half-smiled, thinking about how rare and expensive the diamonds were. "I could never afford these, much less be worthy of wearing--" she stopped herself in mid-sentence when she noticed the letter along with it.

'Shh. I snuck this for you. This is only half of your birthday present though. I'll give you the other half later. -- Link'

Malon smiled. He had remembered her birthday after all. Malon quickly grabbed the earrings from the bed and placed them into her ears.

She smiled again. Malon believed Link had forgotten her birthday, but she was proven wrong. He did remember, and he even got her a present. She began to braid her hair, knowing that the banquet started shortly. After she finished, she rolled the braid and tucked it securely under the tiara on her head.

She was satisfied; she looked like a princess.

* * *

Link shook his head. "For the last time, Zel, I'm not dressing up for the banquet." 

Princess Zelda placed her hands on her hips. "My father said this was a formal event. You have to dress up. You cannot walk in their dressed in that tunic of yours," she sighed and turned her head. "When was the last time you washed it anyways?"

Link narrowed his eyes. "I don't have anything formal to wear in the first place. The king will understand when I walk in with my casual clothes."

Zelda frowned. "Do you know where my Hylian diamonds?" she said, quickly changing the subject as she looked in her jewelry box.

Link laughed nervously. "Heh. Heh. Why would you want to wear those ugly things anyway?"

"They are _not_ ugly. Hylian diamonds are the most beautiful stones in all of this land, and they are very rare at that, too. I wanted to wear them at the banquet," she retorted.

Link knew if Zelda saw Malon wearing _her_ diamonds there would be a huge problem--and Link would be at the center of it. Not only would he make both girls mad at him, he would only embarrass Malon on her birthday.

He wanted to give Malon something nice. Not only did he make sure she had the best guest room, he also sent her the dress. It was her birthday; she deserved to have nice things every once in a while. All Link needed to do was to make sure Zelda would not see Malon. Everything would work out smoothly, or so he thought.

"Why don't you try wearing…pearls?" Link suggested, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Pearls…?" Zelda repeated distastefully.

Link gulped. "Now that I think about it, I think you shouldn't wear any jewelry. You should just go…bare? Yes, you should dress in a more natural look."

"Link, are you not telling me something?"

"I think I'm going to get ready now."

* * *

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen!" the king threw up his arms, shouting from the top of his lungs with an unmatched excitement no human should ever bear. "First I want to congratulate the ten women who have made it into the competition!" he paused for a moment and waited for the members of the court to cease clapping. "Tonight, relax and enjoy yourself because the next few weeks will be very harsh." 

Ruto smirked. "I can take on any challenge thrown at me."

Impa and Nabooru rolled their eyes, remembering Ruto crawling out of the obstacle course. "I'm sure you can," Nabooru retorted sarcastically.

The princess of Zora's Domain crossed her arms. "You're just jealous of my good looks and irresistible charm--something you will never have."

Nabooru, too tired to argue back, rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say _your highness_," she grabbed one of the appetizers on the tray next to her.

"W-What is that?" Ruto asked.

Nabooru looked at the food and smiled devilishly. "Fish."

"You can't eat that! They could have been my friends!" Ruto protested. "How would you like it if fish did that to people?"

Nabooru looked at Ruto, then at the fish, then at Ruto again. She popped the appetizer in her mouth and ate it. "I wouldn't want their sacrifice to be in vain."

Ruto covered her mouth and ran out of the banquet hall.

Everyone cheered again after the king's speech and the music began to play. It had started. Malon peeked her head from a pillar just outside the banquet hall. Was Link in there yet? How would she approach him? Malon didn't plan anything out before she came to the banquet. She wasn't very good at this, not at all.

Link walked down the long corridor to the banquet hall. He honestly didn't want to go. He never liked parties or celebrations, only because he was always singled out as the Hero of Time.

"But Malon is going to be there," he muttered to himself. That was when he noticed a petite figure hiding behind a pillar, peeking her head every few seconds, seemingly looking for someone. He walked up to the young woman and tapped her lshoulder lightly. "Excuse me, miss?"

"EEP!" Malon jumped from the sudden touch and faced Link. "L-Link?"

"M-Malon?"

Silence.

"I can't believe you, Link! What is going on here? What's this whole competition about? Why did you stop visiting me at the ranch? Do you realize how bored I was without you keeping me company?" Malon began throwing questions at the Hero of Time.

Link cowered. "I'm sorry! Listen, I can't explain anything to you right now, but I promise I'll tell you later."

Malon crossed her arms. "Can you at least tell me you're not the one who planned this stupid competition?"

Link smiled sincerely. "I can guarantee I didn't come up with this."

Malon sighed in relief. "Good. I was begining to think you lost your mind."

"Oh! Before I forget," Link said suddenly, pulling something from his pocket. "I bought this for you. I was going to visit you at the ranch today and give it to you, but things came up. Happy Birthday, Malon."

Malon squealed. "It's one of those keaton dolls! They're so adorable! Thank you so much, Link!" she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I've always wanted one, but I could never afford it."

He grinned. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."

She smiled, blushing lightly. "Thank you, Link. And thank you for these," she said, pointing to the tiara and earrings. "I've never had anything like this before. Where did you get these?"

Link's eyes widened. "I-It's…it's a surprise."

"I see, but thank you again. It was really sweet of you," she replied, nodding.

"It was nothing, you deserve something nice for once," Link said, returning the smile.

"There you are, Link!"

Link, without any thought, jumped in front of Malon. "Oh, Zelda…what are you doing?"

"Link, what are you doing?" Malon asked, trying to look over Link's shoulder. However, he seemed to know all her moves and kept jumping in front of her every time she moved.

"…May I ask why you are moving around like that?" Zelda asked, suspicion hinted in her voice. "Who is that behind you?"

"Uh... A friend of mine. She's afraid of people with blonde hair."

"You have blonde hair, Link…"

"But you might blind her," Link stopped when he noticed Zelda getting angry. "No! You look good tonight, but your hair is reflecting off the light and it's really bright… You don't look bad or anything. That's not what I meant."

Zelda narrowed her eyes and walked into the banquet hall. Link sighed in relief; he had gotten over one hurdle.

"Link! What was that all about?" Malon knitted her brows in frustration.

Explaining everything was the next hurdle to get over. Link knew he couldn't tell Malon the truth about the Hylian diamonds. She would become more upset knowing that she was wearing Zelda's jewelry. "I-I didn't want anyone seeing you before you made your grand entrance," Link lied, adding a fake grin along with the excuse.

Malon paused momentarily then decided to take his explanation. "Yeah, but you just made a fool out of yourself. I don't want to make a grand entrance. I just want to enjoy myself."

Link smiled but before he could reply, she was already walking into the banquet hall. He quickly followed behind her. "Malon--"

Before he could finish his sentence, the whole room was staring at Malon. "She looks like a princess. She's so beautiful," people whispered, watching Malon walked in. "Is she wearing Hylian dia--"

Link sent the nobleman flying across the room with a powerful kick to the face. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared that the Hero of Time. _"At least I diverted the attention to me…"_

"Uh… I thought he was Ganondorf…" Link replied with sweat dripping from his forehead.

Things were only getting worse for the Hero of Time.

The king looked around confused and took another bite from his food. "You look tired, my boy. I think you should get some rest. You've been acting strange lately."

"Yes," Zelda added, "you've been acting _very_ strange lately."

Malon walked toward Link and placed her hand gently on his shoudler. "Are you feeling well, Link?"

Zelda narrowed her eyes as she looked at Malon. "Are those my--"

"GANONDORF!" Link shouted, causing the biggest commotion ever in the history of commotions. Everyone began screaming and running in fear. Link realized his opportunity to escape and grasped it. He grabbed Malon's hand and ran out of the banquet hall faster than he had ever ran in his life.

"Link!" Malon hissed as she was literally being dragged from the hall. "What in Nayru's name are you doing? It's like you don't even want me to be seen!"

They had stopped outside the castle at Link's favorite place. A beautiful fountain with the three goddesses in the middle decorated the garden. Link rested his hands on his knees and breathed heavily. "Malon," he began, standing up straight almost towering over the smaller girl, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Link, I thought I could enjoy tonight because it's my birthday! But you keep acting weird, like you don't want me to know something," she put her head in her hands. "Everything isn't going the way I want it to. I just wish I could enjoy myself for once."

"I'm not making things any better for you. I don't want to ruin your birthday but I guess I've already done enough damage," he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Please don't be upset. The night isn't over yet."

"I wish you wouldn't hide things from me," Malon whispered.

He needed to tell her. He needed to explain everything to her. She had the right to know. "Listen, about those diamonds," he took in a deep breath. "Those diamonds are Zelda's. I took them from her room and gave them for you to use tonight."

He expected a fit of raging screams but to his surprise, all he heard was laughter.

"You mean to tell me, you've been hiding me from Princess Zelda because you don't want her to see me wearing her jewelry? That's why you were kicking people in the face and screaming tonight!" she started laughing again. "Link, you really are something else."

He laughed with her. "I thought you would be angry with me."

"I should be, but I just can't. I think it's too funny," she took the tiara off along with the earrings. "Here, give them back to Princess Zelda. I don't want to be responsible for another poor nobleman going to the doctor."

Link noticed her saddened expression as she handed him the tiara. "Here," Link took out one of the diamonds from the tiara, "keep this."

"Are you sure? Do you think she'll notice one is missing?"

"Nah, she won't notice at all," he smiled and placed the diamond in her palm. "Did your birthday turn out better than you expected?"

"Well, it wasn't boring," she giggled, placing her hand on top of his.

He stared into her eyes and smiled. "Mal, Happy Birthday."

"Thank you, Link," she smiled, turning her head toward the castle. "It's getting late now. I should go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day."

The competition. Link had forgotten about it already. He didn't want Malon to go through with it. "Malon, you should go home."

She stopped walking. "What?"

"I don't want you in this competition. It's not what you--"

"You don't think I can do it, is that it?"

"Mal, no, let me explain."

"I don't need an explanation. Goodnight," she said snappishly before departing for her room.

"Malon…" said Link, slouching his shoulders in defeat. "She took it the wrong way. I really should watch how I phrase words."

* * *

Malon was dressed in the night clothes the servants had left for her. The dress was locked away in the closet next to the vanity mirror. She sat on the small chair and brushed her hair slowly. Too many thoughts were running around in her mind--too many that she didn't want to think about. 

"He doesn't want me here. I thought I had a chance, but perhaps I was wrong."

She put the brush down and stood up quickly. "He must think I can't compete with the Sages and Princess Zelda," she clinched her fist into a ball. "I'm just as good as them! Aren't I?" she sighed and looked at the diamond Link had given her.

"He's so complicated. I'll never understand the way he is."

She looked toward the balcony, noticing a rock flying into her room. She quirked an eyebrow. "What was that?"

"Malon!" she walked onto the balcony and looked down, seeing Link tossing rocks. "I need to speak with you." Malon picked up a rock from her floor and threw it at Link.

"Ow!" Link threw his hands up in a defensive manner to protect himself from anymore on-coming attacks.

"I'm mad at you, Mr. Hero of Time!"

Link rubbed his head where the rock had made impact. "We're talking whether you want to or not," Link pulled out his hookshot and pulled himself onto her balcony--only to be pushed back down when he reached his destination.

"AHH!"

Malon turned away from the balcony edge but soon felt guilty from what she had done. Her angry expression soften as she turned back and looked over the railing. "Link?" she called out when she didn't see him laying on the ground. "Oh no…"

"Did you miss me?"

She gasped, pushing the figure standing next to her over the railing.

"AHH!"

"Oh Din! I'm so sorry Link! You scared me!"

Link picked himself up from the ground again. "It's…all right… It was my fault that time. If I try to go up there again, are you going to push me back down?"

Malon shook her head. Link sighed. _"Women are so difficult."_

He took out his hookshot again and pulled himself onto her balcony. He stared at the girl, looking as if she had never pushed him off the balcony in the first place. "You're too cute, you know that?"

She walked in the bedroom and sat down. "Enough with the flattery. I want you to explain everything to me."

He limped slowly into the room, holding his side in pain. "All right. I'll explain everything to you now," he said as he took a seat on her bed. "The competition was the king's idea. It was supposed to be a reward for me. I'm just as lost as you are," he stopped, looking up at her face. "Malon, you really shouldn't be here. You're better than this. I got into this by myself. Let me solve my own problems."

"And what about you suddenly disappearing? You stopped coming by the ranch!"

"The king has been keeping me busy for the past few months. I honestly tried to come see you, but something always came up. It was like he knew everytime I wanted to see you and planned something where I couldn't. Please believe me," Link said honestly.

Malon looked down. Now she understood everything. He didn't want her in the competition, not because he had no faith in her, because he was only looking out for her. "I'm sorry I over-reacted. I didn't know. But if you think I'm going to leave you here and let some other girl take you, you're sadly mistaken. I'll win this competition to save you from breaking some girl's heart."

"If you win this competition, you and I are going to get married," he commented with a sly grin. "You know that, don't you?"

"All right, Romeo. Time for you to leave. I need my rest," she stopped and smirked. "Or would you like to exit the hard way?" she pointed to the balcony.

Link ran toward the door. "I think you're right. It's time for me to leave. I need my rest, too."

Malon giggled. "Goodnight, Link. Thank you for explaining everything to me."

"Goodnight," he opened the door and looked back at her and smiled.

* * *

Zelda walked into her room and sighed loudly. "Tonight was definitely entertaining," she walked over to her dresser noticing her tiara and earrings were mysteriously there. "I don't believe it. Why did I not notice they were here before?" 

She picked up her tiara and looked at it. "I wish I could have worn--wait a minute! Why is it missing a diamond?"


	6. Chapter Six

It was morning. Malon closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths. "Let me check again," she mumbled as she reopened her eyes. It was still morning; she had dreaded it and wished it would never have to come. Time was definitely her enemy.

It was no longer her birthday; it was the mark of a new day. Malon knew what awaited her once she left the castle. The competition burned furiously in her memory. However, a great deal of burden had been lifted. Link wasn't behind the madness. He was merely a pawn reluctantly following the crowd, or in his case, the king.

She felt obligated to help him. The idea lifted her spirits and gave her more determination than she had ever felt before. She had to win the competition. If she did not, Link would be in more trouble than when he fought Ganondorf. Malon fumbled with the brush. She couldn't think straight. She needed to focus but nothing seemed to help her.

"Thanks for breaking my concentration, Link," Malon frowned as she stared intently at herself in the mirror. He was on her mind. Link was teasing her even when he wasn't near her.

She didn't know what awaited her as for the challenges themselves, but she knew they would be difficult like the king had stated. But remembering the obstacle course, the challenges were probably inspired by a child. Fear swept over her. What if she couldn't even complete the first challenge? She shook the thought from her mind. She needed to believe in herself-she could do it, she had to.

There was a small knock on the door. Malon paused for a moment. It was time already. She slowly walked to the door, hoping she could spare herself extra time. "Yes?"

"It's time. Please be at the front gates in ten minutes," the man saluted Malon and walked away. Malon frowned again. She didn't even know what to wear.

* * *

Link closed his eyes. "It can't be morning. Please tell me this is just a cruel trick," he reopened his eyes and stared out the window. It was morning for sure. Link rolled his eyes and lay back in his bed. He knew what today was--the competition which he had feared. Not only would he have to watch the girls basically embarrass themselves in the ridiculous matches the king had in store for them, he would have to watch Malon do it. 

"I wish she would go home and save her pride," Link rolled over on his side. "I don't want her to do this to herself. She's above this."

The king had lost his morals. It was already enough that they had to suffer in the obstacle course. He didn't even know who some of the females were. Link sat up and placed his head in his hands. "I wish I could have stopped this before it started. I'm such a fool."

He knew it was pointless to beat himself up over it now. There was nothing he could do about it. After all, Link wouldn't mind watching the challenges as long as they were safe. "I'm sure they're going to be entertaining," he thought before getting out of his bed.

* * *

"Good morning, ladies!" the king greeted in his unusually cheerful demeanor. "I'm sure you all are very excited to be here on this fine morning," the girls yawned and rubbed their eyes, obviously still trying to wake up. The king lifted his eyebrows. "What an energetic group we have here," the king stated sarcastically. 

"Why couldn't the first challenge be later in the day?" Ruto whined. "The sun is barely out!"

"Complaining already?" Nabooru crossed her arms over her chest.

The king spoke before Ruto could reply to Nabooru's comment. "Morning is the best time of the day to perform what I have in store for you!"

Link, who was sitting on Epona impatiently, scratched the back of his neck. He had a bad feeling about this. He turned and looked at each of the girls and gave each one a pitied expression. Even Link did not know what the king had planned, but he knew it wasn't good.

"Enough with the suspense. Just tell us what we have to do," Nabooru stated snappishly.

The king just laughed. "You've always been the impatient one, Nabooru. But you'll have to wait until we arrive at the destination," he turned and pointed to the horses behind him. "As you can see, we are doing a little bit of traveling."

"On horses?" shouted Ruto. "I've never rode a horse in my life!"

"You have nothing to fret about. These horses are prize horses from Lon Lon Ranch. Talon was so honored his daughter was chosen to compete in the competition, he wanted to contribute something for his daughter," all eyes were focused on Malon. She could feel the heat rise on her cheeks. Her father had returned home and knew where she was. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Link looked at Malon and smiled.

"There are only eleven horses. One of us won't get a horse," Saria pointed out.

The king nodded and smiled devilishly. "True, one won't get their own horse; however, one lucky girl will ride with Link."

Link sighed. Why him?

The king approached the girls and pulled out ten straws. "Whoever picks the shortest straw gets to ride with Link."

_"This is stupid,"_ Malon rolled her eyes and grabbed a straw with the rest of the girls. They studied their straws carefully. Malon looked at hers again. Hers was the shortest. Maybe luck was on her side for once. "I…won?"

"Congratulations! You won a free ride with Link!"

Ruto slouched. "That means I have to ride a horse, doesn't it?"

* * *

"It's so nice being on Epona again. How long has it been?" Malon asked, wrapping her arms around the hero's waist. 

"Too long."

There was a silence between them. Why was it that silence always made an appearance when they were together? Malon could never answer that question. If only she could read his mind. He was a silent hero; he hardly spoke even when he wasn't on 'duty'. He liked to keep things to himself. That was the way he was. She didn't mind his mysterious persona; it was attractive to her.

"Malon, I'm sorry you got caught up in this mess. I wish there was some way I could fix this problem," Link spoke up. "I just--" he stopped in mid-sentence. Malon rested her head on the back of his shoulder. He could feel her breathing lightly. Link smiled; she had a talent for making him smile a lot.

"This is it," everyone stopped their horses and watched the king. He pointed to a small field enclosed by a large fence. "Your first challenge is here."

"What is it?" Zelda asked. "It's just an empty field."

"Alright ladies, off those horses and into the _arena_!"

"I don't like this at all," Link said in a wary tone as he helped Malon off Epona. "He probably has something dangerous in those cages."

"I'm sure he wouldn't trap us in that thing with something that could kill us, right? We're basically defenseless in that arena," she looked at the field then back at Link. "Don't worry though. It can't be that bad."

"I wouldn't take him too lightly if I were you."

Malon tore herself from Link and followed the rest of the females into the small field. All ten females stood in the middle of the arena and awaited the king's introduction to the first challenge.

"Ladies, you will be eliminated if you cannot stay in the arena for five minutes. Only nine of you will proceed into the next day. If all of you should fail, then no one will be eliminated. If all of you manage to make if for five minutes without giving up, no one will be eliminated. Are the rules clear?"

"But what is the arena for?" asked Nabooru.

The king grinned. "You are not allowed to use weapons or magic. Five minutes is all you have to withstand," the king turned to two men on each side of the arena next to small cages. "Release the angry cuccos!"

"Cuccos?"

"Your first challenge: survive the cucco pen of death!"


	7. Chapter Seven

Silence filled the air. The girls looked at each other; their eyes glowed in disbelief. "Could you repeat that last part," Nabooru asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"The cucco pen of death," the king's words echoed loudly as if he were in some poorly filmed horror movie.

"Don't you think that's a little extreme," Link whispered in the king's ear.

The king shook his head. "Of course not, my dear boy. I would never put any of these beautiful females in a dangerous position," he replied casually. "Besides, these lovely ladies need some old fashion exercise."

"So just tell us what we have to do?" Impa asked impatiently.

"All you have to do to make the next round is to survive a grueling five minutes or last until someone escapes the cucco pen on death!" his words echoed again at the name of the first challenge.

"You're using the word 'survive' like someone is going to be killed," Nabooru commented.

"It just sounds scarier when you say it like that," the king replied with a huge smirk. "In any case, I've made the rules clear. Are there any questions before you begin?"

Silence.

"Let's get this show on the road!"

"Do cuccos eat fish?" Ruto randomly asked. "I mean, I heard they'll eat anything. I'm just a little worried."

Everyone shook their heads.

* * *

The females stood in the middle of the pen. The tension was very noticeable. Ruto tapped Malon's shoulder. "So, do they eat fish or not? You should know, right? I mean, you live on a ranch with cuccos. So you must be a cucco expert, right?" 

Malon quirked an eyebrow. "I've never heard of a cucco that eats meat. I think you're going to be okay."

Ruto sighed in relief. "Good. I was afraid I would have to whip out some of my unbeatable kung-fu moves on the birds."

"…Right."

The king placed his hands behind his back, smiling from ear to ear. He glanced over at Link. "You look worried, my boy. Are you afraid that these fine ladies can't handle themselves?"

Link refrained from commenting on the king's last remark. Instead he continued scanning the arena. Why would the king put defenseless females in a pen of vicious chickens? Cuccos weren't the most friendly or loveable species in Hyrule. _"They do make a good meal though,"_ Link thought.

"Unleash the cuccos!" the king raised his hand, signaling the guards to open the cages.

The birds stampeded from the cages. Their black, beady eyes narrowed at their prey.

"AHHHHHHHH!" the girls screamed, huddling defensively together.

"Girls, meet my pets," the king laughed. "Aren't they the cutest things you've ever seen?"

The cuccos began approaching the females, backing them into a corner. "We need something to distract these things!" Impa shouted, looking at Ruto. "Hmm…"

Ruto gulped. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Impa quickly tossed Ruto into the group of cuccos. Feathers and dirt flew left and right. Ruto's high-pitched screams echoed rung in their ears. Link covered his eyes and whimpered. "I feel bad for her," he mumbled to himself., remembering the times he was attacked by cuccos.

"Whip out your kung-fu moves!" Malon called out.

"Play dead!" shouted Saria.

"Just let them eat you," Nabooru added.

The cuccos stopped pecking mercilessly at Ruto and focused their attention to the other girls. Twitching, Ruto curled into a ball on the ground.

"Is she dead?" Zelda asked.

"Poke her and find out," Impa answered.

The cuccos advanced toward Malon and the others. Link lifted his head from his hands, watching in horror as the cuccos prepared for their next attack.

"Run, Malon! Run!"

And that was what she did. In fact, that was what they all did. Malon was used to this treatment. She usually ran around outside, trying desperately to catch the cuccos when they ran off. They were fast, but when it was a matter of life and death, Malon could outrun them any day.

"Look at them. Running around in circles with such energy," the king paused. "Link, one of these girls is going to be your wife," the king placed his hand roughly on Link's shoulder. "They are a lively bunch. Well, except for Princess Ruto."

Link winced. "I'm sure they're all having a blast in there."

Ruto twitched again, pulling herself from the ground. She coughed slightly, rubbing her head where the cuccos had pecked her. "I don't believe this. I could have been killed!" she looked behind her and saw two cuccos coming her way. "Eeep!"

"Don't just sit there, Ruto! Get up and run!" the king shouted from the sidelines. "She's so brave. First she sacrifices herself for the safety of her fellow comrades. Then she wants to stay and fight the cuccos, knowing she doesn't have a chance. You need someone like her, Link."

Link rolled his eyes. _"Right. What is this man talking about?"_ Link thought, watching on as the girls fought to survive. Deep down inside, however, he was relieved it wasn't him in there. He already had his fair share of cuccos during his adventures.

Saria ran from the three cuccos chasing after her. Being the smallest of the group, she had a disadvantage. She thought it would be fun entering the competition but she wasn't having any fun. "Oh, why did I enter this contest?" she asked herself as she ran faster and faster...

...until she tripped.

Saria screamed, covering her head from the cuccos. "Saria!" Malon cried out, running to the green-haired girl's aid. Malon kicked away the cuccos and helped Saria on her feet. "Are you okay?"

Saria nodded slowly. Another batch of cuccos came running toward them. "Malon, look out!"

The red-haired girl had to think fast. The cuccos were quickly approaching and Malon didn't have any way of buying the two time. That was until Ruto ran by. Malon mumbled 'sorry' under her breath and tripped the Zora princess, quickly grabbing Saria's hand and running to safety.

"AHHHHHH!" Ruto screamed as the cuccos piled on top of her…again.

"Oh the carnage!" the king covered his eyes.

"Oh…my…Din…" Link hid behind the king's cloak.

Nabooru and Impa were cornered. They kicked away the cuccos pecking at their feet. Zelda ran and zigzagged her way through the cuccos, confusing them to the best of her ability. The other females were huddled together, crying loudly and throwing small rocks at the cuccos and were missing them rather badly.

A petite, black-haired girl cried out in horror, climbing over the fence. "I can't take anymore! I quit!"

"You're fired!" said the king, adding a weird hand motion to the phrase.

Link quirked an eyebrow. _"This man needs help."_

The king puffed his chest proudly. "This competition is over! Open the gates!"

The remaining girls ran out of the pen. Their hair was in tangles and dirt covered their faces and clothes. "I never want to go through that again," Zelda commented, trying to take the knots out of her hair.

Ruto crawled out of the pen, panting and huffing loudly. "I…made…it!" Saria knelt down and helped the Zora to her feet.

"Congratulations! You've survived the first round! I'm sure you are all anxious for your next challenge tomorrow," the king paused and let the girl's finish their protests. "I understand you all must be very exhausted. Let me treat you to a special feast tonight!"

"Din! How many animals must you kill every night?" Link cried out in frustration. He really hated pointless feasts.

The king was shocked by Link's sudden outburst. "If it bothers you so much, my boy, we can always eat tofu?"

"…I can't wait for the feast tonight."


	8. Chapter Eight

"I don't understand. I know why you're doing this, but at the same time, I don't understand why you would put yourself in this kind of danger," Link paused, taking in light breaths and speaking hardly above a whisper. "After seeing this first challenge, I'm a little worried about the next challenges."

Malon smiled faintly. "I can take care of myself, unlike someone I know who got himself involved in this competition."

"Mal…"

Evening had fallen upon Hyrule. It had only been a few hours since Malon completed her first competition. She looked at her blonde-haired friend. "Please, you worry too much. You honestly don't think I can do this, do you?"

Link shook his head. "I know you can. You're tough like that."

The red-haired girl smiled. "I appreciate you visiting me, but I have to prepare for the feast tonight. You're going to have to leave now."

Link pouted. "Can't I stay and watch you dress?"

"…"

"Heh. Heh. I'll be leaving now," Link laughed nervously. "I'll see you later tonight."

Malon watched Link sneak out from her bedroom. She couldn't help but giggle. He decided to sneak into her room to check on her. But secretly, he just wanted to talk to her. If anyone else knew of their secret meetings, Malon would surely be in trouble--and possibly disqualified in the competition. She didn't want that, and she knew Link didn't want that to happen either.

Her smile faded quickly. She never told Link why she was really in the contest for. She told him she would help him, and that she would do her best to win--to win so he wouldn't have to marry anyone. Even if she were to win, Link would not want to marry her. Malon shook the unpleasant thought from her mind and prepared for the feast. "I'm going to get fat from all the food," Malon commented playfully.

Honestly. The king had a feast every night. Malon was surprised all the animals in Hyrule were not extinct yet.

* * *

Link ran his fingers back and fourth on the dinner table. He sat alone in the dining room, waiting for everyone's grand entrance. But the real reason he was alone in the dining room was because he needed a place to think. Thoughts were running through his mind, making it very hard for him to concentrate on anything other than her. 

"Malon…" he muttered, drawing invisible figures on the table's top. "Why are you always on my mind?"

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" a voice said from behind him. Link jumped in his seat from the sudden surprise. He turned around to see who was speaking to him. "Well, are you going to answer me or just stare at me? Is there something on my face?"

It was Princess Ruto. Her head was wrapped in numerous bandages from the first round earlier that day. Link held in his sudden urge to laugh. She looked ridiculous and utterly humorous.

"I'm sorry, Ruto. I didn't know anyone was in here," replied Link.

She grinned. "It's all right. I saw you sitting in here and thought I would come and talk to you."

"You don't have to…"

"Actually," she paused, approaching Link seductively, "I wanted to ask you something," she said, smiling.

Link gulped. _"Uh-oh."_

"I saw you coming from that ranch girl's room."

Link's eyes widened. Ruto had seen him. What would he say to her? He couldn't tell her she was seeing things. "I don't know what you mean. You must have been seeing things, Ruto."

Okay, maybe he could.

"Oh no, I could have sworn that it was you coming from her room. Don't play innocent with me, Hero of Time," she narrowed her eyes.

"Link!"

Link jumped up from his seat, knocking Ruto onto the floor. He quickly ran over to the king's side, bowing respectfully and ignoring Ruto completely. "How are you on this fine night, your majesty?"

The king laughed heartily. "You seem to be in a good mood, my boy."

Link stifled a chuckle. "Perhaps I'm just excited about the feast later."

"I thought you liked to-fu?"

"No… I never said that… That was what you assumed."

"Right…"

"Now about tonight," Link was cut off by Ruto, whom he tried to avoid.

She looked at Link, giving him a weak grin. "What were you going to say, Linky-poo?"

"Nothing. It's not important," Link turned his head away from the Zora princess. "And don't call me that, please."

"Oh, but you don't complain when that cowgirl calls you pet names?" she hissed into his ear, making sure the king could not hear her.

"Her name is Malon."

The king stared at the two, bickering between themselves. "Maybe I came in here at a bad time. The dinner is in a few hours. Remember to be here on time," he said, shaking his head and leaving the two alone in the dining room.

"Listen, Ruto, I don't know what you want or what's gotten into you."

Ruto frowned. "It's not fair to the other girls!"

"What are you talking about?" Link asked, narrowing his eyes at the princess.

"You're favoring Malon over everyone else!"

Link withdrew his hand from her grip. His eyebrows knitted together. "I'm not favoring anyone!" Link sighed, taking in deep breaths and trying to control his anger.

"I'm sorry," Ruto mumbled. "I didn't mean to make you angry. I was just…upset…"

"Don't worry about it," replied Link. He looked at her and smiled, a fake smile, but he didn't want to make her nervous any more than she already was. "You need to stop worrying about me favoring anyone. I'm not, okay?"

Ruto nodded slowly. "All right. I believe you."

He scoffed. "I don't think you're sincere about that."

"No, I am," she said, turning away. "I'm going to fix these bandages. I'll see you at the feast tonight."

Link watched her leave the dining room. He crossed his arms, shaking his head lightly. _"I don't think she believes me."_

* * *

Two hours passed very quickly. The feast was made private for the king, Link, and the winners. The king felt that since the girls worked so hard, they deserved their own special meal. Link sat across from Malon, giving her a few small glances during the course. She returned his glances, smiling and blushing at Link. Ruto sat a few seats away from Link, keeping a sharp eye on him. 

"So, Malon," Ruto began, "I heard you dream about meeting your 'Prince Charming' and having him sweep you off your feet on his horse."

"We all have are dreams," Malon replied.

"What about Link? He's like a 'Prince Charming'," Ruto commented, grinning.

Malon's lips parted slowly. She didn't know what to say to the Zora princess. Her eyes slowly landed on Link, who was trying to tell her something in code--eye code.

Blink. Blink Blink. Blink.

"Is there something in your eye, Link," Zelda, sitting beside Link, asked.

"Uh… yeah, it's out now."

Ruto leaned over, still interrogating Malon. "Well? You do think he's a _Prince Charming _don't you?"

"Don't we all?"

Ruto huffed. "Certainly. So why are you in the competition anyway?"

"The same reason as you," Malon replied, narrowing her eyes at the princess.

The king looked at the two girls. Shaking his head, he grabbed another cucco leg from his plate and took a bite out of it. "Now, now. I don't want our ladies to fight over Link. That's what the competition is for. I don't want to have to disqualify anyone for fighting in any fashion or form."

Nabooru laughed. "Do you hear that Ruto? If you keep acting jealous, it's going to get you disqualified."

Ruto sat back down in her seat. She crossed her arms and turned her head away. "I'm not jealous of _anyone_ at this table."

"You're just acting like a child and not out of jealously," Impa replied sarcastically, making everyone at the table laugh.

Ruto narrowed her eyes at the laughing girls. Standing up quickly, she slammed her hands on the table. "Laugh now, but when I beat all of you in the competition, you'll regret making fun of me. Because I'll be Link's wife and the rest of you won't," she exclaimed before excusing herself from the table.

Link gulped, trying to keep his comments from escaping. Ruto was determined to win and become Link's wife. The very thought of that scared him.

"Maybe we shouldn't have teased her. She seems upset," commented Saria.

"Ah, she's always like that. She'll be okay," Nabooru replied.

The remainder of the dinner went well. Link listened as the girls joke among themselves, enjoying their dinner together. Ruto seemed to be the only one who could not get along well with the others. Without her at the table, it was very peaceful. After dinner, everyone excused themselves and went to their room.

"You helped clean up?" he asked, walking Malon to her bedroom.

She nodded. "Of course. It was the least I could do."

"You know you don't have to. That's one of the benefits of living here; people will do things for you. I may sound lazy saying that, but I've learned to like it," Link smiled. "It takes a load off my back knowing I don't have to do chores along with saving Hyrule."

"But I was raised like that. I've always had to work, even when I was just a little girl. At home, I help clean up after dinner," Malon frowned. "I guess I'm just a little homesick."

Link placed his hand on Malon's shoulder. "Think of this as a little vacation. You need to take a break anyway; you work too hard all the time. When this is all over, you'll be back home."

"I'll be home. You never mentioned anything about me being with you in the end. Does that mean you don't want to be with me, Link?"

"You're right. Pretty soon, this 'vacation' is going to be over, and I'll be home working again. I guess I should enjoy it while it lasts," she giggled. "Besides, this is the most exciting thing I've ever done in my entire life. I'll have a lot of memories when it's over."

Link and Malon finally reached her bedroom door. Link rubbed the back of his neck. "You better get some rest now. I have no clue what that mad man is going to have in store for you tomorrow."

Malon giggled, turning the knob to her door. "You better get some rest now, too. You haven't been getting enough sleep lately."

Link looked away. "I can't sleep though."

"At least try to, for me, okay?"

He nodded reluctantly. He didn't want to make her worry about him anymore. Before she entered her room, he grabbed her arm and gently pulled her toward him. He leaned over and pecked a kiss on her hand. "Goodnight, Malon."

Malon's face turned many shades of red. "G-Goodnight," she stuttered before entering her bedroom. She looked at her hand where Link had kissed her. _"He kissed me… Am I dreaming or is this real?"_ she thought, changing into her night clothes. She sat down on the bed, pulling off the sheets and fluffing the pillows. Not knowing what else to think, she decided to go to sleep with a smile stuck on her face.


	9. Chapter Nine

Malon sighed, looking over the note she was received earlier that morning. She shook her head in a rather disappointed and disgusted way. "I don't believe this," she mumbled, reaching over for her glass of water. She took a sip of the refreshing drink before slamming the letter down on the table.

'Bathing suits required this afternoon.'

The fiery red-haired girl stared at the box that had accompanied the letter. She didn't have to open it to know what was inside. It was her bathing suit. Why would she need one in the first place? She had less than an hour to prepare for the next competition. However, she knew it would only take her a matter of minutes to put her bathing suit on.

Malon stood up and approached the box that sat in the middle of the room. She tilted her head slightly before unmasking it. Inside the box was the small red bikini. She blinked, doing a quick double take. Under the bathing suit was a small note.

_'I can't wait to see you in this -- Link'_

"I don't believe him," Malon rubbed her temples before changing into her water gear. Link was so different when he was with Malon; he showed her a side no one ever saw--his playful side. She adored how goofy he acted when he was with her. He wasn't always as serious as he was always portrayed to be.

No one knew him like Malon did. She basked in their former glory. He could open up to her and be himself. She could open up to him and be herself. They didn't have to play roles when they were together--they could be themselves.

Things had changed. They weren't the same as they were years ago. Both Link and Malon had matured over the years. Malon reminisced on their childhood together, remembering the times he would go to the ranch to play with her. He was her only friend, other than Epona, growing up. She wasn't social or out-going like other children. She hardly left the ranch. Malon worked and worked all her life. There was hardly any time for playing. There was hardly any time to be a child.

There was a light knock on the door. Malon didn't have to ask--she knew what it meant. She grabbed the towel that came with the package and headed out the door. Malon had no idea what was in store for her.

* * *

"Welcome ladies!" the king announced cheerfully at the meeting place. "I'm sure you are all wondering why you were assigned bathing suits." 

The nine females nodded in unison. The king smiled gleefully before continue. "I'm sure you can all guess where the next challenge is located: Lake Hylia!"

A few moans and groans could be heard from the group. Princess Ruto smiled devilishly. "I'm guessing we're going to be swimming a lot. It must be my lucky day!"

"How come she's not wearing a bathing suit," asked Nabooru, who modeled a orange bikini similar to Malon's. "She's practically in the nude."

"Unlike you, I already have a built in bathing suit… my skin," replied Ruto with a bitter tone.

"Now now ladies," the king held up his hands to stop the bickering. "We have to get along or else all the fun will be drained out."

Link snickered from the sidelines. "_I have yet to see the fun in this."_

The king pointed in the direction of a carriage. "This is Link's and a lucky winner's transportation. The other unlucky females will be riding in this," he pointed to a broken down wagon. "Choose a number one through ten. Whichever number you choose that is closest to mine wins the luxurious ride with Link."

The females started shouting out random numbers. Most of the females probably didn't care about riding with Link or not, it was the old, broken wagon that scared them. The king whispered the number to one of his servants before the girls had arrived, so upon hearing the correct number, he immediately jumped up. "Zelda choose the number I had thought of… nine. Well dear, looks like you get the free ride with Link."

Zelda smiled, wearing a light pink bikini with the towel wrapped securely around her small figure. "Looks like we get to ride together, Link."

Link smiled, helping the princess into the carriage. "Let's hope it's not a bumpy ride."

Ruto foamed at the mouth. "That was so rigged!"

Impa sighed. "You're just mad because you picked the number one."

Ruto huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're just jealous because you don't look nearly as good as _I _do."

"If I looked as scaly as you do and reeked of a horrendous scent of dead fish then I would have to end my life," Nabooru retorted.

Ruto's jaw dropped. Speechless, she walked away and sniffed her arm when everyone had turned away. The king wrapped his index finger around his chin, observing the wagon suspiciously. "There's something wrong with this."

"Yeah, it's about to fall apart," commented Nabooru.

"No, it's in perfect condition. It just needs some love."

"What the hell are you talking about? 'It just needs some love'?" Nabooru shrieked. "The thing is b-r-o-k-e-n! It's broken to the point where it cannot be repaired even with your _love._"

The king shook his head, walking up to Nabooru and resting his hand on her shoulder. "No ladies. It looks lonely. It hasn't been used in over a decade. It just needs some lovely females to escort."

"Is it even safe to ride in?" Saria, who was wearing a green one-piece bathing suit, asked.

"Now, would I endanger your lives?" the king asked innocently.

Silence.

"No time for stalling ladies. Let's get a move on!"

* * *

"This ride is sure bumpy," Malon commented, sandwiched between Saria and Impa. "I'm just a little worried about that horse. It looks really old," she pointed to the aged horse pulling the wagon slowly. "It looks like it's about to pass away any time now." 

"Please," Saria whimpered, "I don't want to think about that. I just hope it passes away peacefully another day and not any time soon."

Ruto spied on the carriage in front of the wagon. "I should be the one in there and not miss I'm-the-oh-so-wonderful-and-perfect-Princess-of-Hyrule. It was rigged! Rigged I tell you!"

"Would you stop complaining? That's all you've been doing for the passed ten minutes, and we're all sick of hearing about it," said Impa.

Ruto sat down and restrained from commenting. The heat was blazing which did the unlucky females no justice. The Zora princess felt as if she were being fried over a raging inferno, which she may have been had she not been between two other females. The air was humid and dry, adding more problems to the scenario. It was the perfect time to be anywhere else but there. Lucky Zelda.

Nabooru turned her body slightly. "This is so uncomfortable. I think I got a splinter in my as--"

Suddenly one of the wheels broke.

* * *

Zelda stared out the small window next to her. She enjoyed looking at the scenery whenever she had the chance. She never ventured out of the castle often; however, when she made small trips she took the time to bask in the glorious outdoors. She smiled, watching the birds fly to the trees' shadows. "It's beautiful outside today." 

Link smiled back. "But you have to feel bad for the others--they have to ride in the heat."

"Yes, I hope they will be fine."

Link frowned. "Is there something wrong? You seem upset."

Zelda shook her head. "No. I'm okay. Although I should be asking you the same question," she paused. "You've been acting different these passed few days. I'm worried."

"Everything's okay. I just have an uneasy feeling about this whole competition."

"I understand. It will be over shortly and you'll have nothing to worry about," Zelda said with a smile.

Link laughed nervously. _"Yeah, but I'll be married when this is finished."_

Suddenly Link's thoughts were thrown in disarray. He heard the females screaming at the top of their lungs, flying in the wagon down the hill. Zelda gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. Link shouted at the driver to follow the wagon, and he did what he was instructed to do. Before the carriage reached the wagon, a loud crash echoed through the air. The carriage stopped at the wreckage site. Link and Zelda quickly jumped out of their ride and ran over to the females, laying in a heap of debris.

"Is everyone okay?" Zelda asked worriedly.

"Just dandy," replied Nabooru.

"What happened?" asked Link.

"One of the wheels broke off and scared the horse. Some how it managed to get away and left us rolling down the hill to our doom," answered Nabooru, picking herself up from the ground. "Everyone is okay though. The bushes eased the impact."

"I'm glad that no one is injured," Zelda said, helping Saria up from under pieces of the wagon.

"Malon, are you okay?" Link asked running to her aid.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking," she replied, leaning on Link for support. "I'm just glad those bushes were there or else I probably wouldn't be here right now."

"I don't want to think about that. Ever."

Malon smiled, reaching down and picking up her towel from the rubble. She wrapped the towel around herself, turning back to Link. "When we were flying down the steep, the only thing I could think of was you. I was afraid I wouldn't see you again," she looked up to the sky, "I guess Nayru was watching out for everyone today."

Link blushed slightly, turning his head away from Malon. "I guess the goddesses just like you."

Malon laughed. "And I bet you enjoy looking at all of us girls dressed like this," she joked.

"Nah, just you… and Nabooru."

Ruto cleared her throat from behind Link, giving him an unhappy expression. "You didn't even help me! You ran right passed me!" she screamed, pointing in the direction of the bushes that had saved their lives.

"I'm sorry, Ruto. I didn't see you there," Link laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, yeah."

At that moment, the king arrived in his grandeur carriage. His servant quickly opened the door for him, rolling out a small red carpet from him to walk on. The king cleared his voice. "I'm surprised to made it here before me," he laughed but stopped once he saw the wagon's ruins. "Wha-what! What happened to the wagon?"

"We gave it some love," Impa replied sarcastically.

He frowned. "Well, we shouldn't dwell on lost things now, should we?" he stopped, shaking his head slowly. "If you've noticed, we're here at Lake Hylia and that's the lake," he paused again, "and that's the professor's house. And there's where the fishing games are held. And over there is a tree."

Everyone winced. They knew it was going to be a very long day.

The king turned and faced the group. "Is everyone ready for their second challenge?" he didn't wait for any responses before going into detail. "The next challenge is to collect as many flags as you can from underwater. The person with the least flags goes home. If there's a tie, we'll play a nice game of Rock Paper Scissors."

"Pfft. Too easy," Ruto waved her hands freely. "I live in the water."

"I have taken that into consideration. To make it fair for everyone, I've spruced up the lake a bit."

"Uh-oh. What do you mean by _spruced up_?" asked Link.

The king smiled evilly, approaching the lake and pointing into the water. "My little pets. Everyone, meet my very hungry Hylian sharks. Hylian sharks, meet Link and the gang," he paused. "Did you know that Hylian sharks love to eat Zoras?"


	10. Chapter Ten

Unbelievable. Malon shook her head, staring into the blue abyss. She could not comprehend what the king had said only moments earlier. She would have to collect flags in a shark infested water. Did the king have any sanity inside his thick head? However, she was one of the few who remained at ease. Zelda and Impa said nothing, remaining calm as the king explained for another time. Ruto, on the other hand, found it almost impossible to control herself.

"You're joking, right? You _cannot_ be serious!" she paused, reading the king's facial expression. He _was_ serious. "Why in Din's name would you do this? Have you forgotten who I am? I am _Princess_ Ruto of the Zora Kingdom! You cannot do this to me!"

Zelda shook her head, retaining her silence. Nabooru approached Ruto, placing her hand on the princess' shoulder. "If you're so worried about being eaten, you can always drop out of the competition."

Ruto narrowed her eyes. "Over my dead body. I'm not going to let some scantily clad woman marry Link. He deserves much better."

Link rolled his eyes. He sat on the sidelines, watching the females argue and protest about the competition. To no avail - the king was determined to see a good contest. "Ruto, if something were to happen to you, I'll jump in the water and save you. Why do you think I'm here anyway? Just to watch you girls swim in your lovely bikinis?" he paused and thought about what he had just said. "Well, yes, but I'm also a professional hero."

Malon giggled at Link's joke. Ruto snappishly turned to Malon. "That's not funny!" she grinned. "Do you even _know_ how to swim? I've never heard of a cowgirl who can swim."

The red-haired girl narrowed her eyes. Malon was at lost for words. She replied shyly, "I know how to swim."

Ruto scoffed and turned her attention back to Link, who had a very unpleasant look plastered on his face. "Link, you better keep your word."

He nodded. "I'm not going to let anyone die," he turned away and muttered inaudibly to himself, "especially over me."

The king crossed his arms and walked over to the two referees for the contest. "If we are finished discussing this, I would like to get this challenge started. I've randomly picked the first contestant. Impa, you're going to set the mark for everyone."

Impa was a brave, strong woman, but the thought of swimming with Hyrule's deadliest sharks was something she had never dreamed of. Impa tossed her violet cloak on the ground, revealing her well-toned body, and approached the water. "How long am I supposed to stay in the water?"

"Three minutes. You can leave the water any time before that. Any flags gathered after that time will not be counted," the king replied casually.

_"Three minutes is a long time,"_ Link thought, watching the lake carefully. He had an uneasy feeling about the whole challenge. _"I really hope nobody gets hurt."_

Impa walked up to the edge of the lake. "I'm ready."

"And the timer starts… now!"

Instead of taking her time, she quickly dove into the water and swam to the first flag near the starting point. Once she gathered her first flag, she found it very hard to see underwater. The darkness and mist in the water added more difficulty to her situation. She could sense the sharks swimming near her, slowly watching the warrior. Impa could not completely ignore them and continue collecting flags. The silver-haired woman swam up to the surface and took in another deep breath before submerging herself underwater again.

Malon watched carefully at the surface. Every thought that ran through her mind tortured her. Perhaps she were to be attacked by one of the sharks? What if she could not collect enough flags? Malon knew all too well that if something bad were to happen, Link would be there to help her. Although, she was not very sure if Link could fight well underwater. Hopefully, she thought, he wouldn't have to.

The referees motioned the end of the three minutes. Impa appeared at the surface, holding a total of five flags. She bent over, placing her hands on her knees. "Something cut me down there."

The king unfolded his arms. "I forgot to mention. I put booby traps near the flags."

Ruto winced. "And you say you don't intend on putting us in any danger."

Either the king did not hear her or he just ignored her last remark, he turned to Nabooru with a silly grin. "Nabooru, let's see some spirit."

She rolled her eyes and got into position. "Let's get this over with."

"Make sure the sharks don't bite your big nose off," Ruto commented bitterly.

"You'll be eating those words when I get more flags than you. That is, if you can even complete this challenge, which I doubt."

"Go!"

Unlike Impa, Nabooru took it slow and steady. She carefully swam near the water's surface to the end of the marked area. She dove underwater and gathered flags while making her back to the starting point. She was able to avoid the majority of the booby traps near the underwater flag poles. She was good at avoiding traps. After all, she was a Gerudo, a thief and treasure-hunter. Of course she would have to be skilled at dodging traps. The sharks seemed to be uninterested in the Gerudo, swimming further away from her. This made Nabooru's turn very easy for her, not fearing a sudden attack from the sharks. She was unable to see at the deepest part of the lake, making it almost impossible for her to collect the few flags left.

Nabooru swam to the surface and back to the starting point in under three minutes, with a total of six flags in her possession. She smirked at the Zora princess. "Beat that number."

The king clapped his hands. "Good job, Nabooru. You've set a new record," he turned to the green-haired sage. "Saria, are you ready?"

The smaller girl gulped, holding her hands tightly together and gazing into the water fearfully. "I don't know. Am I able to go later?"

"No, I'm sorry. It's now or never," the king replied.

Link walked up to Saria and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Saria. You can do it. I have faith in you," he said supportively, forgetting about the competition for the moment.

Malon and Zelda both nodded in agreement. "Link will be watching you. If you have any problems, Link will be there to save you," Zelda added.

Saria was much smaller than the other girls. Although she knew how to swim, she was at a great disadvantage. She had smaller lungs and could not swim as fast as the others. Saria wasn't in the competition to marry Link. She just wanted to have fun. Link was her best friend; how could she ever marry him?

After a long and gruesome journey, Saria emerged with four flags. Everyone congratulated her, except Ruto who scowled at the small girl's victory. "Four? That's it?" Ruto questioned arrogantly. Saria lowered her eyes and sat down in the grassy field silently.

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Why can't you ever be happy for someone else?"

Ruto shrugged. Before she could reply, the king interrupted. "Zelda, your turn is up. Are you ready?"

Zelda's turn went rather well. She took her time and slowly collected five flags. She was also congratulated upon emerging. She smiled sweetly, thanking her fellow contestants. "I'm just glad it's over. I was afraid, but now that I finished, it wasn't so bad."

The king smiled at his daughter. "Good job, Zelda," he paused and looked at his referees. He nodded, listening to their words carefully. "It's time to take a break while they replace the flags. Ruto, your turn will be next. It shouldn't be too hard for you, right?"

Ruto bit her lower lip. "Yeah… it'll be too easy for me."

"Looks like someone's nervous," Nabooru snickered.

"Shut-up! I'm not nervous. I'm just preparing myself for my turn," hissed Ruto.

Malon ignored the arguing and walked over to Link, who quietly watched from the sidelines. She smiled, taking a seat next to the young hero. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Not as much as you girls are," Link replied jokingly.

Malon giggled, placing her hand over her mouth. "That must mean you're hating this," Link nodded. "That's okay, there are only a few more turns and then we'll be back at the castle."

"And one of those turns is yours? Are you nervous?" asked Link.

"Well, of course I'm nervous! Anyone would have to be crazy if they weren't nervous."

"What are you doing?" Ruto suddenly shouted, ruining the peaceful moment. She approached the two, giving Malon a disgusted look. "I expect you are talking about how wonderful my turn will be. Or how good I look today. By the way, what are you talking about?"

"Ruto," Link exasperated, "do you always have to act like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're always so… paranoid."

"Paranoid! Paranoid about what?"

"You tell me," Link stood up and dusted his tunic off. "You always flip out when I'm talking to anyone that's not you."

Ruto growled slightly. She grabbed Link's arm harshly. "You forget I know your secret," she whispered into his ear, taking Link by shock. "I suggest you be nicer to me or I'll have little miss Malon disqualified from the contest. And I _know_ that will make you very upset."

Link sigh, defeated. "Don't do that to her."

Ruto smiled evilly, walking away. She turned her head, glancing over her shoulder. "You better be a good boy."

Malon stood up and stood beside Link. "Is something wrong? What did she say to you? You look upset."

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," he walked away, leaving a confused Malon behind. She decided to abort the conversation. Not wanting to pester the blond-haired hero any longer, she walked over to the group of girls, taking a seat near Saria, who was still recovering from her turn.

"Are you okay?" Saria asked.

"I'm fine."

"No, you look upset. You can talk to me if you'd like. I can try to help," she smiled warmly.

Malon pulled her legs to her chest, resting her head on her knees. She turned her head to the green-haired Kokiri. If anyone knew the real Link, it was Saria. "It's Link…"

"What did he do this time?" she laughed as if Link was always doing something wrong.

"He wouldn't tell me what was bothering him. He's always opened with me on things like this, but suddenly, he closed himself from me," she sighed. "I hope I didn't do anything wrong. Maybe I'm just putting too much into this… overreacting like I always tend to do."

"Of course you didn't do anything wrong, silly. Link's always been like that. You're lucky he opens up to you. He hardly tells me what is wrong nowadays," Saria giggled. "Just give him sometime, and I'm sure he'll tell you what's wrong. He might not want to put his burden on your shoulders."

"But he knows… we promised to share everything… I remember…I remember that night…"

"You're right. I'm sure he'll come around eventually. Time usually fixes everything," Malon smiled back at the smaller girl.

The king appeared again, wearing a smug grin on his face. He raised his hands in the air, clearing his throat rather loudly. "The small break is over. We're now going to finish the last part of round two. Are you ready to start us off, Ruto?"

"Ready? You're kidding me! I've been ready since the beginning of this round!" she responded, desperately trying to hide her obvious fear. "Let's hurry up and get this over with!"

"You know why it was easier for us, right?" Nabooru whispered in Impa's ear. "Because we went before Ruto. She's going to make those sharks angry."

"You have to feel sorry for those going after her," Impa replied.

Ruto looked at her reflection in the water. _"This is so scary. I don't want to do this."_ She turned her head, staring at the Hero of Time. _"If I want to be with him, I have to do this. Besides, how bad can it be? The others did well."_

"Go!"

She stalled for a moment, staring into the lake once again. The king's eyebrow rose. "Did you hear me, Princess Ruto? You're wasting time."

Ruto grimaced. She dove into the water gracefully like a pro-swimmer. Swimming to the depths of the lake, she gathered the first two flags without any difficulties. However, she could feel the presence of the sharks all around her. She stopped, looking behind her. Unlike the other females, she had no problems seeing underwater; she was accustomed to the misty waters. _"I can feel the sharks… I know they're waiting for me to make the next move."_

Without thinking, she reached for the next flag and accidentally cut herself on the booby trap floating next to the flag pole. Releasing the flag, she reached for her cut arm, holding it tightly. The sharks smelled the fresh blood coming from the young Zora. They surrounded their pray, swimming around her with a hungry gleam in their eyes. If one could scream underwater, Ruto would have done so. She eyed her predators carefully, scanning for a possible escape route. She noticed a small opening between two of them and quickly swam through it.

The sharks followed in pursuit; however, Ruto was the better swimmer and was able to dodge their vicious snaps. She reached the starting point in once piece, crawling out of the water. The sharks were not able to follow her anymore. She had made it and with two flags in possession.

"Wow, two flags. Great job!" Nabooru commented sarcastically.

"Shut-up! I could have died in there!"

"That's right… _could have_. You look alive to me," Nabooru responded.

Ruto ignored the Gerudo's last comment, holding her fin where she was cut. She was grateful to still be in the contest. However, with only two flags, she was standing on thin ice.

"Looks like someone made the sharks mad," the king laughed heartily. "Next up is Malon. Are you ready?"

She nodded silently. Nervousness overwhelmed her. She shook away the horrible thoughts swarming around in her mind. "Yes, I'm ready."

She was as ready as she would ever be. Approaching the lake, she could see the sharks swimming madly underwater. She wanted to turn back and quit, but taking a quick glance at Link's face changed her mind. There was so much that Link did not know about her intentions. She had agreed to help him, that she promised to keep. However, there were more reasons for her to stay in the competition.

"Go!"


	11. Chapter Eleven

Malon took a deep breath upon hearing the two-letter word, echoing endlessly throughout her mind. She was prepared for this. That was what she thought before her turn came. It was easier watching the other contestants compete; however, she found it almost impossible to go through with it. She was scared.

She restrained from turning back. She had no choice but to go through with it. She dove into the water remember as if it were instinct how to swim. It had been a long time since she had last swam but she had spent most of her childhood swimming before her mother passed away. Those times remained in her heart as if they happened yesterday. But she could not live in the past any longer.

The only thing she could do was move forward.

Malon cautiously approached the first underwater flag pole. She avoided the trap placed next to the pole, collecting the first flag with ease. However, that was as easy as her turn would ever be. As she swam to the next flag near by, she noticed the sharks swimming around the second flag pole. Malon eyed the sharks, feeling overwhelmed by anxiety. She was not a warrior nor did she ever wish to become one. She had never been in a situation where she must constantly defend herself in order to survive - until she was entered in the competition.

_"I can't let them get to me. I have to collect more flags to make it to the next round,"_ she thought as she swam lower to gather the second flag. She reached the flag easily, quickly snatching it from the pole. _"Ah…I got it…Thank Din!"_

Malon swam up to the surface for air before continuing in her quest for the remaining flags. As she dove into the water once again, she noticed the sharks had swam closer to her. She pushed away her fear and continued toward the third flag. _"The lowest number of flags collected was two. If I can get one more flag, I'll have a definite spot in the competition."_

Her confidence quickly returned once she reached her goal. If she could have sighed while submerged in water, one would have heard her do so. _"I have three flags. There's no need for me to gather any more,"_ Malon glowed in victory; however, victory was far from near.

Once the red-headed girl turned around, that was when the sharks appeared. They began to form a circle around her, eyeing their prey like a hungry lion. Malon felt her confidence wither away once again, and in its place came fear and apprehension.

"Right at the end… Nothing is ever easy…"

Malon had to think quickly. Noticing a small gap between two of the sharks, Malon decided that would be her best chance for escape. As she swam toward the small gap, she was pulled back to the flag pole. Something had attached itself to her; her foot was entangled in the vines that lay near the pole. As she reached down to unwrap her leg, one of the flags escaped her grasp. She ignored it the flag floating away and returned her attention to her foot.

* * *

Meanwhile above the lake, Link watched the water carefully. She had been under the water for a long time. He waited for her head to appear from underwater. He waited to see her wave all the flags above her head. He waited for Malon's slender body, dripping with water…er…Link quickly shook that thought from his mind. Bad Link! 

Everyone watched the lake anxiously. Even Ruto, although she did a good job of hiding it, began to worry about Malon. However, no one was as worried as Link.

"I'm going in there," Link exclaimed, taking off his boots and hat. Before he was able to get his tunic off, the king stopped him.

"Give her a little more time. I'm sure she's just fine."

"More time? She could be hurt or worse…"

The king narrowed his eyes at Link and roughly grabbed the hero's shoulder. "She has to come out herself or else her flags will not count. Those are the rules."

Link kicked the dirt under his feet. This was a life or death situation. What if the king was right? What if Malon was okay? What if he went in the water after her when she was really just taking her time? Or what if she was really in danger? He would have to wait as his questions lingered unanswered.

* * *

Malon could feel her oxygen supply escaping her by each moment. She struggled as she tried to pull her foot from the vines. To no avail, she was stuck. The sharks began to move in, ready for their attack. Malon's heart pumped faster and faster. That was when she noticed it. A small chain of bombs rested near the flag pole. Apparently, the king thought it would be _amusing_ to set bombs for his little contestants. 

Malon covered her mouth to stop the gasp from escaping. A shark unknowingly swam around the bomb. Its tail was just inches away from setting off the chain of bombs.

_"If that shark's tail hits that bomb…"_

As if on cue the shark's tail slapped the bomb, setting off the chain of bombs. The remaining sharks quickly swam away, leaving Malon caught in a tidal wave created by the explosions. The vines were instantly destroyed, releasing her foot. As Malon desperately tried to swim away, the massive tidal wave sucked her into its waves and carried her away.

* * *

"What's going on?" Link shouted as he was restrained by Nabooru and Impa. "Something's wrong! Let go of me!" 

"You're crazy if you think we're going to let you run out there! We have to get to shelter!" Nabooru yelled as loud as Link.

Before the gigantic wave crashed onto the field, Zelda quickly created a magical shield to protect everyone. The water violently splashed onto the barrier, reflecting away from the group, and dispersed soon after, leaving many large puddles behind. The group sighed in relief and thanked Zelda graciously.

Link ran toward the shore. "Malon? Can you hear me!" A small cough was heard by Link's keen sense of hearing. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Malon lying on her stomach. He quickly rushed to Malon's aid. "Malon! Are you okay? What happened? You aren't hurt, are you?"

She pushed herself off the ground and sat up straight. "I'm fine," she said weakly. "But look what I was able to get," she held three flags above her head to show everyone what she had collected. Luckily for her, she was able to snatch a flag before being thrown onto the small shore.

Link laughed gleefully, helping her to her feet. "Way to go, Malon!"

"Looks like someone beat your score," Nabooru turned to Ruto and snickered.

Ruto scowled. "There are still three more girls left, and I highly doubt any of them will do better than me. Just look at them. They're so plain; they're definitely not Link's type."

The king clapped loudly. "Excellent job, Malon! You automatically make it to the next round. I think you should take it easy after what just happened," he laughed heartily. "Next contestant! We still have sharks left, so you ladies will get your turn."

Malon sighed heavily, taking a seat on a patch of dry grass. _"I made it… I thought I was a goner for a moment, but somehow… somehow I managed to make it out okay…"_

"Hey there," Link said coolly, wrapping a towel around Malon's shoulders. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine…"

He paused, turning his head away from her. "I was worried about you. I was about to go in there after you."

"You were?"

"Yeah… I was scared that something had happened to you," he smiled. "Don't ever scare me like that again, you hear me."

"I thought heroes never get scared," she grinned.

"But I'm only human."

Malon and Link seemed to be in their own world for a long time, ignoring the rest of the contest. They chatted between themselves, enjoying the small time they had together. Ruto was too busy watching the last few contestants to worry about Link and Malon. She watched carefully as the other females struggled collecting the flags. However, when one of the ladies only collected one flag, Ruto cheered loudly. She was in.

"Ah, we still have one more contestant left. Now, if you collect two flags, you automatically make it to the next round. Are you ready?" the petite girl nodded, standing in a readied position. "Go!"

Three minutes passed quickly. The king placed his hands on his hips, tapping his foot impatiently. "Where is that girl? Did she lost track of time?"

The small girl's head popped up from the misty water. She began gasping for air and flailing her hands above her head. "Help me! Help me! Please!"

The king smiled. "There you are. Now, how many flags did you collect?"

"None! I don't have any! Please help me Hero of Time!"

Link immediately stood up and rushed to the shore; however, he was stopped by the king. "Now now Link, we don't help losers."

"But!" he protested.

"Link," the king wrapped his arm around the blonde hero's shoulder and began walking away from the lake, "I have a surprise waiting for you at the castle. In fact, it's a surprise for everyone!"

Link ignored the king's statement, turning back toward the lake. "Um… is… is that blood?"

The king looked at the lake, noticing the petite girl's figure floating lifelessly to shore. He watched a shark swim around the body before eating the girl's remains. "Oh no, Link. That's just ketchup. The shark's love the sweet taste of ketchup," the king laughed. "It's meaningless to grieve over the poor. I have something special for you and a lucky lady waiting at the castle! Are you ready?"

Link gulped inwardly. _"Oh… Nayru… please help me!"_


	12. Chapter Twelve

Link crossed his arms stubbornly. Things were definitely not on his side lately. The blonde hero watched the king, laughing loudly and praising his daughter for her job well done, from a shady corner in the throne room. His back, facing away from the sunlight shining through the stain glass windows, rested against the wall. Link shook his head. Yes, things were definitely not on his side.

Zelda laughed nervously as her father patted her on her back. "Yes father, I'll continue to work as hard as I have been."

"That's my girl! Now you and Link get ready for my grand announcement tonight!" the king clapped wildly as if he were a small child.

"Oh yes, how could we forget that?" Link whispered in Zelda's ear as they left the throne room. They walked down the hallway, Link a few steps behind the princess. He turned his attention toward the blonde female. "You know, I'm a little worried about this announcement of his. Do you know anything about it?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, I was not informed of anything. My father never tells me any of his plans for the competition. I'm as lost and confused as you are."

Link sighed. He stopped following the princess and rested against the hallway wall. "If it is worse than anything he has pulled so far, I'm going to jump off Death Mountain."

"Oh, Link! Don't say that! I'm sure it can't be too bad," Zelda, resting her hand on the hero's shoulder, reassured.

"Zelda, your father let a girl die a horribly painful death, and he didn't care! Why are you still defending that mad man!" Link yelled in an outrage as two servants passed by with an odd look on their faces. Link scratched the back of his neck and laughed nervously. "We're…uh…practicing a role for…a play… Don't mind us," and with that, the two servants walked away whispering to each other.

"Link, please, my father is no mad man. He simply wishes the very best for you."

"What in Din's name are you talking about?"

"You saved his and the people of Hyrule's life. He wants to reward you for your contributions to Hyrule," she smiled. "He thinks of you as the son he never had."

Link lowered his head. "I need to talk to him. You go ahead and get ready for tonight."

Zelda nodded and left for her room. Link retraced his steps to the throne room. Opening the door slowly, he watched the king play with two little figures in which he provided the voices for. Link walked in slowly, trying not to disturb the king as he played with his toys. Link coughed slightly to obtain the king's undivided attention.

"Oh Link, have you come to join me?" the king asked cheerfully.

Link shook his head. "Actually, I've come to talk to you."

The king motioned for Link to sit in front of him on the cold marble floor. "Well, what is it that you want to talk to me about?"

Regardless of the Triforce engraved on his hand, Link still found it hard to gather the courage to tell the king what he really thought of the competition. But Link knew if he did not say anything, it will only continue to grow worse and worse until it was impossible to handle.

"Well, it's about the competition. I think it's getting out of hand."

The king was silent. Link scooted away from the king in fear that the king may go ballistic. The king laughed slightly, lowering his head in defeat. "Do you really think that it's bad? I tried so hard to make it enjoyable for everyone."

Link refrained from commenting on the king's last remark.

The king continued, "ever since my wife passed away, things haven't been the same around the castle anymore. I miss her so much."

Link began to feel sympathy for the king, and his opinion started to change. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. "I hope you don't mind me asking but what happened to your wife?"

"Well, we got into an argument one night shortly after Zelda was born. I think she was angry because I wasn't there with her when she was giving birth."

"Oh, where were you then?" asked Link.

"I was fishing in Lake Hylia. I caught a big one that day, too!"

"You were fishing when your wife was giving birth? Shouldn't you have been there by her side?"

"I was there that morning. She was complaining about how her water broke and how much she was in pain. I mean, I was in pain, too. I accidentally stubbed my toe on the dresser that morning, but at least I wasn't making a big deal about it."

"…"

"A few nights later when she was feeling better, she told me I was insensitive and that I acted like an immature child. I told her she was fat and ugly and that she smelled like a horse from Lon Lon Ranch. Then she threw a bottle at me, and it really hurt. So I…I threw her out the window. After a while, I went and to tell her I was sorry but she didn't talk to me. She wouldn't get up from the ground. I thought she was ignoring me, so I kicked her a little to make her talk to me. She still didn't move! Then someone told me she was dead, and that she must have fell out the window. I was depressed for a _whole_ day," the king wiped away a tear from his eye.

Link's eyes widened as he tried to comprehend what the king just said. "You…you killed the queen!"

"Oh no, it was an accident. She fell out the window."

"You just told me you _threw_ her out the window!"

"Well, she shouldn't have called me names."

"…"

Link quickly took back his last _good_ thought he had of the king. _"This man is psycho!"_

"What was that about the competition you wanted to talk to me about?" the king asked.

Link shook his head. "Oh, it was nothing. I'm just going to prepare for tonight."

* * *

Malon, wrapping her finger in her hair, sighed. She was bored. Not just bored, she was tired of everything. Never once did she think that a life full of luxury could be so unhappy and boring. She could have anything she wanted. All she had to do was just ask for it. What was the point of working hard for something if she could just ask for it? 

It means nothing if you haven't worked for it.

Malon missed her home. She now appreciated all the hard work and effort she had made at the ranch. However, it was nice having a break, but could one really consider this a vacation? Nervous, Malon took another sip of her water. "I wish tomorrow wouldn't come. I'm so scared."

Who wouldn't be scared? Every round in the competition was worse than the one before it. Just thinking about the next round made Malon tremble in fear. But she was eased at the thought of Link, and how he would protect her if something were to go wrong.

There were only eight girls left. That meant that Malon must endure more torturous activities to get closer to her prize. But would Link want to marry her? They made a deal, and in that deal he mentioned nothing about marrying her. He just wanted her to win so he wouldn't have to marry.

Things were not on her side. The goddesses must be angry at her.

She looked at the old grandfather clock across the room from her. She would have to leave soon; the king was insisting every attend, although not mandatory, this special meeting of his. He had a _grand_ announcement to make. Malon, at this point, could care less what it was about. He was probably going to throw in another tough obstacle she would have to defeat.

Whatever the case, Malon was determined to win. She had to.

* * *

"Z-Zelda!" Link screamed as he ran frantically into her room. 

"AHH!" screamed Zelda, quickly covering her almost naked body from Link's eyes. "Wh-what is the meaning of this? You shouldn't barge into a lady's room without knocking first!"

Link quickly turned around. "Sorry, but this is an emergency. I need to talk to you," he eyed the two maids in the room, "in private."

Zelda reluctantly dismissed her faithful servants. "I hope this is important enough for you to come into my room like this. It's rather…uncomfortable."

Link sighed. "I'm not going to look at you, okay?"

Zelda continued dressing again. "All right, then please, what is it that you needed to tell me?"

"Do you know what happened to your mother?"

"Is that what was so important?" asked Zelda, annoyed by his question.

"Well, do you know or not?"

"Yes. My father told me she died of an incurable illness shortly after I was born."

"…"

"Why did you ask?"

"Oh… I was just curious."

Zelda narrowed her eyes at the hero. "_That_ was the important thing you needed to talk to me about? You came into my room while I was undressed to ask me _that_?"

"Uh…well…I…"

"Please leave," the princess hissed.

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

"Please leave," Link said in a mockingly manner as he walked down the corridor to his room. "She acts like it's such a big deal that I saw her undressed," he sighed. "I should have told her what happened to her mother, but I don't think she would have believed me anyway. It wouldn't have been a good idea. I guess it's better for her not to know the truth." 

He entered his room and threw himself onto his bed. "I just need to rest."

But as soon as he closed his eyes, he remembered the king and his announcement. "I guess I'll have to wait to get some rest."

Link stood up from the bed and walked to his closet. He looked at is selection of tunics--all green with the exception of one blue tunic and one red tunic. "Wow, this is going to be hard to choose," he said sarcastically.

He pulled off his tunic and tossed it on the ground. He stood in front of the mirror and began flexing his muscles. "That's right Link, you are a sexy man."

"Well, yes you are."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Now, is that anyway to greet a woman?"

"Nabooru! What are you doing here?"

"I was walking by and saw your door open. I decided to take a peak and saw you. I think every thing else is self-explanatory."

Link blushed. _"How embarrassing."_

"The king is about to announce his surprise in the banquet hall. If I were you I would hurry," Nabooru winked seductively, "Oh, and by the way, nice tights," laughing loudly, she walked away, leaving Link crying on the inside.

_"Why me?"_

* * *

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen!" the king held his drink above his head and tapped on it gently to capture the small crowd's attention. Once the crowd settled down, he spoke again. "I have a very important announcement to make. However, before I do, I want to inform Link and the contestants that the rules for the competition have changed," the king sighed and raised his hand to stop the noise of the shocked group. "Before you jump to any conclusions, this will not affect you in a harmful way. The winner of each round will simply spend a whole day with Link. This will only affect the length of the competition; you will be staying longer than expected, but you will be reward if you work hard." 

Catching Nabooru's ever-so-watchful gaze, Link shifted nervously in his seat. She smiled evilly, mouthing the words _tights_.

The idea of jumping off Death Mountain seemed to be a good idea to Link right about now.

"Well, when does this go into effect? I won the last round, so does that mean I get to go on a date with Link?" asked Nabooru, whose attention was now on the king.

"No, it will go into effect the next round. I'm terribly sorry Nabooru," the king took a sip of his drink. "Hmm… seems like someone is missing. Where is Princess Ruto?"

"I was wondering why it was so quiet," Impa commented.

"I think she's sleeping. She said she was very tired," added Saria.

"Well, someone is just going to have to fill her in when they see her," the king set his drink on the table. "Link, my boy, are you ready to hear this announcement?"

"Actually…"

"Good! Because this concerns you!"

Link rested his head on the table. _"Why won't this horrible nightmare go away?"_

"Are you okay, Link?" asked Zelda, who sat directly to the hero's side.

"I'm fine. Can we just please hurry? I just want to go to sleep."

Malon could say nothing nor do anything to help her friend. _"He must feel horrible. I wish I could make him feel better…"_

"Ah, so impatient! You of all people should have more patience," the king teased, pausing slightly and taking in a deep breath. "As you all know, we have eight remaining women left. However, we are going to have a twist, and Din knows how much I love twists!"

"Uh-oh…" Link mumbled.

"Link, I would like you to do the honors! Behind that curtain, you will find the surprise."

"You know, I'd rather not…"

"Oh c'mon, my boy! You're not afraid, are you?" the king laughed playfully.

Defeated, Link sighed and walked over to the curtain. Behind him, he crossed his fingers and prayed for a gift from the goddesses. However, once he pulled the cord to the curtain, he wished he were never born. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Brother!"

"D-D-Darunia?"

The king laughed again. "Surprise!"

"What kind of sick joke is this? Darunia isn't even female!" Nabooru quickly jumped out of her seat. Never in her life had she been so shocked. And this, this was too much for anyone.

"She's right. The Gorons are an all male species," added Impa, who kept her calm facade.

"Oh…my…" Zelda and Saria tried to not look at the events before them. "Saria, I think maybe you should go to bed now," Zelda instructed.

Saria, without arguing, nodded and left the hall. Zelda turned to her father, who was enjoying this very much. "Father, please explain this logically. This is wrong and Link does not deserve this."

"Princess Zelda, please let me explain," Darunia bowed to the leader of the Sages. "Link is my sworn brother. Thanks to him, my people are saved. He is forever in the Gorons' debt."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here," Nabooru commented bitterly.

"I want to destroy that final barrier preventing us from truly being brothers!"

"That makes no sense," Impa muttered under her breath.

"You wish to marry Link?" Zelda coughed out.

"You call it marriage in your culture. But my culture sees it as eternal bonding of two friends; he and I shall forever be brothers and best friends after this ceremony is completed!"

"I don't feel well anymore…" Link quickly took his seat and buried his head in his hands.

Malon, still too shocked to say anything, remained silent as she watched Link crumble before her. This wasn't like him. Now she felt he needed her strength more than ever. "Link, don't worry. Everything will be okay."

Link silently looked up with one eye. "…"

At that moment, Ruto ran into the room. She rubbed her eyes and wiped the dust off her dress. "I'm sorry I'm late, I over-slept," she looked around the room, examining the shocked group. Her eyes floated onto a familiar figure. "YOU!"

"YOU!"

Darunia and Ruto yelled simultaneously.

"What are you doing here, you rock-eating monster?"

"I should say the same for you," Darunia crossed his arms. "When I heard you entered the competition, I thought you would be the first to be eliminated. I'm actually quite surprised to see you're still here."

"Well, I'm much stronger than I look."

Darunia scoffed. "You've always had a big ego."

The Zora princess narrowed her eyes. "Like you have any room to talk. I think you're in the wrong competition. The freaks are in the next room."

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"ARG! At least my people don't asexually reproduce!"

Everyone, watching the squabble between the two, sat at their seats. The king tried to intervene, but he seemed almost non-existent to the two Sages. He coughed loudly, finally catching their attention. "If you are done arguing like children, I would like to continue."

The apologized and sat down at their seats. The king smiled, looking at his fine group of contestants. "Ah, you are all so wonderful. I can't wait to put you to the test in my next challenge!"

The women coughed nervously.

The king held his glass and watched the wine swirl in elegant circles. "I think it's time for the food! Everyone, let's enjoy tonight's feast. Tomorrow isn't too far away!"

Things really weren't looking good for Link.

**Notes: **Darunia is in the competition now. Weird. But I have a hench that there's another reason behind it. Of course, you'll have to continue reading to find out.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Link sighed loudly as he strolled through the castle's garden. The dinner was a complete and utter disaster. Ruto and Darunia argued almost the entire time--even when they had food in their mouths. Zelda tried to stop the two Sages from fighting, but to no avail, the beautiful pacifist could not tame Ruto nor Darunia. Nabooru relaxed and watched the two fight as if they were the entertainment for the night. Impa paid no attention to the squabble, and she kept her thoughts to herself unless she was spoken to. And lucky Saria was sent to her room before the outbreak began.

Malon, however, disappeared soon after dinner began. When Link brought up her sudden absence from the dinner table, the king assured him that the young woman had just gone to bed early. But Link felt there was some other reason why Malon had left. He wanted to knock on her door and speak to her, but if she were sleeping, she wouldn't want to be disturbed.

It was midnight. Link was cursed with insomnia that night, thus explains why he was awake and aimlessly walking where his feet would take him. "This is so crazy," Link whispered to himself. "This has to be a dream. This can't really be happening."

But it was and Link knew it.

Link knew fighting with himself and blaming himself for the mess was futile. He had already made it clear in his conscious that he was not at fault for the king's madness, and this, he was sure, was true. It was useless to continue to try to stop the king. Things had already gotten out of hand and neither he nor the goddesses could stop it. What was the Hero of Time suppose to do?

He continued walking in thought, trying desperately to find answers to his burning questions. As if on cue, Link heard a familiar, yet pleasant, sound. He stopped in his tracks and turned to the direction of the sound. There he saw a beautiful figure sitting on the fountain's side. The water flowed elegantly behind her as if she were an angel in all her glory. The moonlight reflected perfectly, presenting a surreal image Link could not turn away from.

"Oh Nayru…"

The female turned around in shock. "Oh, I didn't know you were out here, Link."

Link awoke from his dream-like state. "I was told you went to bed early."

Malon turned her head and stared at the stars above. "No, I didn't want to be around everyone if they were going to argue like children. I like peace and quiet when I'm eating," she said with a gentle laugh.

Link moved closer to the red-headed woman. "Is that why you left? Because it was too noisy?"

"If that's how you want to phrase it."

Link, finding it hard to speak, stood silently and stared at her. Malon caught his glance and smiled weakly. "Is there something wrong? I thought you would be asleep by now since earlier you were complaining about not getting enough rest."

"Yeah," Link nervously pulled on his tunic's collar, "when I tried to go to sleep, my eyes wouldn't close. I thought if I walked around a bit I would become tired again."

Malon nodded and stood up. "I should go inside now. It's getting a little chilly."

"Wait," Link extended his arm in front of her. "Is there something wrong? You know if there is, you can always tell me. I'm always here if you need me. And you know how I hate it when you keep things from me."

Malon looked down at the stone steps. _"You hate it when I keep things from you, but it's all right for you to keep things from me?"_

"Mal? Are you okay? You don't look so well."

"I'm fine," she hissed.

Link stepped back in shock. She had never been this angry and irritated with him before. Now Link was sure something was wrong. "Malon, please tell me what's bothering you. I don't want to see you like this."

"I'm sorry… Please excuse me."

"Malon!"

Before Malon could escape Link's interrogation, she was stopped. Link grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. She struggled to get away but Link was too strong. Malon eventually gave into him and stopped fighting. "Malon, what's wrong? You can tell me."

She refrained from speaking. Maybe it was because of frustration and exhaustion that made Malon so upset, but whatever it was Link was determined to find out. Link moved his face closer to hers, only to see her turn away from him. Link frowned slightly. "I wish you would tell me."

"I would, but you never tell me anything when you have something bothering you. It wouldn't be fair…"

She had a point, and Link knew it. He was being a hypocrite for almost forcing her to speak when he never told her anything when he was upset. "You're right… I'm sorry," Link smiled. "Let's make a deal. I'll tell you when something is bothering me if you tell me when something is bothering you. Deal?"

Malon buried her head below his shoulder blade. "It sounds like a fair deal to me," she said, her voice muffled by the fine cloth of his tunic. She looked up and smiled. "It's really not that important though."

"Sure it is. I don't want to see you sad," replied Link, who was smiling back.

"I'm just feeling a little nostalgic right now, that's all. Really!"

"Homesick, huh? Are you sure there's nothing else bothering you? I don't know why you couldn't tell me this earlier."

Malon pulled away, titling her head to the side. "Other than not liking this competition, everything is fine."

"I don't think anyone other than the king enjoys this competition," Link chuckled. "Listen, if you want to go home, you can leave whenever you want. You're not forced to compete, you know."

"Didn't we have this conversation once before? I can't leave you. If you and I remember correctly, the winner gets to be your wife. What if Saria wins…or worse…Darunia?"

Link shuddered at the thought. "I know…but it's dangerous and you're already having trouble keeping up with the Sages."

Malon narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

Link gulped. _"Uh-oh. I'm in trouble."_

"Are you saying that I'm not capable of winning because I don't have magic powers. Just because I'm a normal human being doesn't mean I can't win. I'm just as capable as everyone else," Malon crossed her arms over her chest. "If you don't want me to help you, I will leave."

As much as she hated to say that, she did. She didn't want to leave.

"No, I don't want you to, I just don't want you to get hurt or possibly killed."

"I'm stronger than I look. Don't underestimate me, Fairy Boy."

"Ah… Do you have to call my Fairy Boy? I'm not a little boy anymore."

"Alright, how about Fairy Man?"

Link's eye twitched. "You know, on second thought, Fairy Boy sounds pretty nice," they both laughed. Link really had no problem with Malon's pet name for him. In fact, he liked it when she used that name for him. It made him feel as if he was special to her. And unknowingly to him, he was.

Once the laughter died down, Link grinned devilishly. "Tell me the truth, Mal. Did you decide to stay and compete because you wanted to be my wife? I mean, that's what everyone else is here for."

Malon blushed. What would she say to him? How would he respond if he knew her true intentions? "Well, I didn't know about the marriage part until after I arrived. I went through with the whole thing because…uh…because I wanted to know the truth."

"The truth?"

"Remember, it was my birthday when I arrived. I thought you had invited me to the castle to celebrate my birthday, but when I arrived, I was shocked to discover you were the prize in a competition and I was asked to participate. I decided to go through with it because I wanted to know if you were the one behind the idea," Malon explained.

"Oh, so you didn't enter because you liked me and wanted to be my wife?"

"Well…um… And if I did, what difference would it make?" Malon asked boldly, taking Link by surprise as well as herself. _"Wow…that's the first time I've ever acted like that. This competition is really making me more…oh how do I say it? More confident in myself!"_

"Whoa!" Link laughed. "You've certainly changed since the start of this competition."

"Yeah, I feel much better about myself, actually. I don't feel uneasy around everyone anymore, and I feel like I can be more open with my thoughts and not worry about what others think," Malon said shyly. "I want to be stronger not just on the outside, but on the inside, too."

Link pulled Malon into a sudden embrace. "You're such a wonderful person."

Malon blushed. "So are you…"

As they pulled away, Malon looked up and smiled. Her smile soon began to fade. Link took notice. "What? What's wrong?"

"Um…you have a huge booger hanging out of your nose…"

Link covered his nose and glared at the young woman who had burst into a fit of giggles. "Thanks," he replied sarcastically.

Soon after, the two parted ways and fell asleep without any problems. They both fell asleep anticipating and fearing the morning to come. The king said he had fresh ideas for the competition. Whatever they were, Malon would make an effort to complete each task thrown at her. This was not only a competition for Link, this was a test for herself and she had much to prove.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

"Good morning, ladies, Darunia, and Link!" greeted the obnoxious king. He smiled, waving around a studded cane which he had custom made for him. It was too early in the morning for anyone to have that kind of energy, but somehow, the king _always_ had more than enough energy to share in the mornings. "I'm sure you ladies are excited about today."

No one answered.

"Such an energetic bunch!" the king laughed. "Fear not, today will be a _fun_ day!"

Everyone shuddered. Perhaps the wind had blown chilly air down their backs or maybe it was because he had said the secret word of the day: fun. Whatever the case, the crew was not excited about the next challenge. The king, however, was more than excited. His excitement showed. He began walking with a slight jump toward his carriage. "We will have another game to see who rides with our hero."

"Joy," Nabooru replied sarcastically. "I just want to get this day over with."

"What's the rush, dear?" the king asked. "Don't get your goofy pants in a twist! We still have the whole day of excitement and adventure!"

"Why do I even bother?" Nabooru sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration.

"So what's the little game we have to play?" asked Saria with subtle excitement in her question.

The king knelt down to Saria's eye level. "Good thing you asked, dear. The game you ladies will be playing is called Rock Paper Scissors. It's actually quite enjoyable."

"Oh Din! You've got to be joking!" Ruto cried out.

"Nope. Now get in a circle and hold out your hands," the king placed his hands on his hips. He was quite pleased with himself to think of such a great game. He showed the girls the three hand gestures they were to make. "On the count of three, pick one of the three gestures and try to beat the person in front of you. If you win, you get to move to the next round."

Then the king noticed--there was an uneven number of contestants. He frowned. "We can't have an unequal number, now can we?"

He thought for a moment, rubbing his chin with his index finger as if he were Sherlock Holmes. "I got it!" He rushed over to Link and pushed him into the group of girls and Darunia. "Link will be our tenth contestant!"

Link's eyes widen. "Oh c'mon! I don't want to play!"

"Please Link! We can't play if we don't have ten players," Saria pleaded with huge emerald eyes as her weapon.

Link finally gave in. "Okay, only because I don't want to ruin everyone else's fun."

Impa scoffed. "What fun?"

"What if Link wins?" Zelda asked.

"Well, if Link wins he can choose who he wants to ride with," the king said with another burst of excitement. Link grinned evilly. He was going to win. He looked at the girl in front of him. Link didn't know her. She was one of the villagers that entered the contest. She was a small and timid girl who blushed every time Link looked at her.

Link suddenly felt sorry for her. She was lucky to get this far in the competition. But he knew she wouldn't be in the competition much longer. _"She entered this competition because she liked me. I can't help but feel responsible for her."_

He gave the timid girl a playful wink to make her feel welcomed. She blushed and giggled. Link felt much better after seeing her ease up from her earlier nervous stance.

The king walked around the group and eyed everyone for no apparent reason. "Is everyone ready?"

"We've been ready for five minutes. When are you going to count us off?" Nabooru replied.

The king narrowed his eyes. "When I'm ready to."

"Don't make him angry, Nabooru. He'll throw you out a window," Link whispered.

"What?"

"Did you say something Link?" the king asked, not hearing Link's comment.

"No Sir! I'm just telling Nabooru to stop being so impatient."

"Yes, you keep these ladies in line, Link."

Darunia coughed.

"And Gorons."

"Can we go now?" Nabooru shouted.

"Okay! Okay! Din. Never in my life have I known such an impatient woman," the king sighed. "Here we go. One, two, three!"

Rock. Paper. Rock. Scissors. Paper. Scissors. Scissors. Rock. Paper. Rock.

The king smiled. "Looks like Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Link and Malon are our winners. Now Link, you stand here and one by one each of the ladies will try to beat you. If they do manage to beat you, they'll have to face off with the remaining ladies."

Link nodded. First up was Zelda. They both held out their hands. The king counted off. Link won. Next up was Nabooru. The Gerudo woman grinned confidently, however, she was defeated by Link. Link's ego goes up three points. Next up was Malon. Malon smiled sweetly. _"Damn, she's good. She's trying to distract me with being cute. It won't fall for it!"_ Link beat Malon. He smiled sheepishly. "Aw, maybe next time Malon."

Last up was Ruto. The Zora Princess clinched her fist with determination. Link couldn't help but laugh. She was cute in a fish kind of way. The king counted them off. Link's smile soon faded from his face when he realized Ruto had beat him.

"Ahah! I won!" Ruto danced around in circles. "I get to ride with Link!"

Malon patted Link on the back. "Aw, maybe next time Link."

Link mumbled a few words to himself and headed to the carriage with Ruto. The fish princess turned around and poked her tongue at the losers. "See you losers at the competition!"

"Today… I think the sandstorms have stopped in the Haunted Wasteland," Nabooru commented looking up in the sky. It was another way for a Gerudo to say Hell has frozen over.

"It's not the end of the world, Nabooru. So she won one simple game. Don't be so hard on her. I think she deserves something nice for once," Impa commented.

Everyone's eyes grew bigger. "Are you defending her? Oh Din! The sandstorms have stopped!" Nabooru covered her face.

Impa sighed. Nabooru was too competitive. It's not healthy, you know.

The king watched Link and Ruto ride off before returning to the others. "Looks like you girls and Darunia will be riding in my special carriage for losers!"

"Is it forty thousand years old like the other one?" Nabooru asked. "Because if it is, I'll just walk."

"No no. It's brand new!" the king exclaimed proudly. "I present to you, the Loser Mobile 4000, complete with the horse dung smell!"

"What? You've got to be kidding me!" Darunia ran up to it. "We all can't fit in that!"

The king smiled lopsidedly. "You'll be riding on top of the carriage. The ladies will have the privilege of riding inside."

"Father, may I please ask why you must torture us so? You must be joking. Why would you make anyone ride in this carriage? No one deserves this kind of treatment, not even Ganondorf," Zelda pleaded with her father.

"Oh nonsense, Zelda. Now don't be a baby and get in the carriage. It's either this are you're going to have to walk."

"I think I'll walk."

"Zelda, toughen up some. You don't hear Miss Malon complaining over there."

"That's because I'm used to the smell, actually. I do live on a ranch," Malon replied timidly.

Nabooru crossed her arms. "Please. Do we really have to ride in this thing?"

"For the last time, yes! This is what you get for losing! You'll have to get used to it. This is the official ride for the losers now," the king replied, shaking his fist like a drunkard. "Now, no more complaining. Act like grown women and rock creatures!"

There was no use in trying to convince their way out of it. The king was set on making them ride in a carriage that smelled like horse ass. It wasn't very pleasant. Darunia climbed on top, thankful he wasn't stuck inside where the stench was strongest. The women climbed into the carriage. There wasn't enough room. Saria sat on Zelda's lap in between Nabooru and Impa while Malon sat with the two villager girls across from Zelda. It was cramped, but somehow they manage to pull it off.

The king waved goodbye to the girls from where he was standing. "Have a good trip!"

"I hate that man," Nabooru muttered.

"Join the club," commented Impa.

"Oh, stop that. He's not that bad," Zelda said defensively.

"You only say that because he's your father. If he weren't father, you would be saying the same thing," Nabooru replied.

"No I would not. He hasn't done anything to make us hate him."

Impa coughed. Zelda turned an narrowed her eyes at her assistant. "Oh please, how could you say such things about the man who took you in?"

"Zelda, your father has done a lot of things that no one in their right mind would ever dream of doing. You have to agree with me when I say this. Just look at what we're riding in!"

Zelda sighed. "Okay, yes I agree with you on that, but please, he's not a bad man."

No one decided to say anymore. There was no way of making Zelda realized her father was psycho and needed psychological help immediately. She would continue to defend him, and even if she did realized the truth, she would continue to deny it.

They remained in silent and only took breaths when their lungs cried for it. It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Link watched Ruto carefully. She wasn't doing anything. Nothing. This really bothered the hero; she was always planning something. Worried, Link moved closer to the princess. "Ruto?" 

She looked up. "Yes?"

Now Link was really concerned. "Are you okay? You're not talking."

"I figured you didn't want to talk to me. You never do."

Link looked away. "That's not true. If it were, then would I be talking to you now?"

"You're only talking to me now because you're concerned. That's just what kind of person you are."

Link sighed. "Ruto, what's wrong? You never act this way. Aren't you happy you get to ride with me? I mean, you've been wanting some quality time together for a while."

Ruto looked up. "Yes, I very happy but I guess this competition has really gotten to me," resting her head in the palm of her hand, she gazed out the window. "I really like you Link. I know you don't like me the way I like you, but there's still some hope left inside of me."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize. Maybe I was the foolish one. It's obvious how you feel about Malon."

"What?"

Link could feel his heart race. He was getting nervous.

"It's obvious you like her."

He didn't know how to reply. Sure he liked Malon a lot but he didn't want the others to know. The last thing he wanted to do was put Malon in a situation she wasn't going to like. Obviously he was too late for that with her being in the competition.

"I admit, I'm jealous. But I want you to know I'm not backing out of this competition!" Ruto turned to Link with fire gleaming in her eyes. "I want to win, not only so we can finally get married but so I can show the other girls that I'm just as good as they are!"

Link backed away slightly. "I thought you said you knew I didn't like you!"

"I did but that doesn't mean you won't like me later. You have to get to know me better. I'm not that bad of a girl," Ruto winked, moving in closer to the Hero of Time.

"Whoa…whoa… What are you doing Ruto? You're getting a little too close for comfort! That's my tunic! Oh Din! Oh Din! AHHHHHHH!"

* * *

"What's taking them so long? They should have been here by now," Nabooru paced back and forth in front of the Loser Mobile 4000. "I hope they didn't get ambushed on the way here." 

"If they were ambushed, Link could easily take care of the situation," added Zelda.

"Not if they were ambushed by psychotic men who have a passion for creating stupid challenges for poor, defenseless women to compete in."

Zelda narrowed her eyes.

"I'm just saying. It's a possibility," Nabooru threw her arms up.

"Look! Here they come!" Saria pointed to the oncoming carriage from a distance.

The carriage pulled up slowly. The girls and Darunia rushed to the door to meet Link, however, Ruto jumped out first. "Good afternoon," she said with a smirk.

"Someone's in a good mood," Impa said dryly.

"Too good…" Nabooru remarked. "What did you and Link talk about?"

"Oh, not much."

"Really? What did you do then?"

"Oh, not much."

"She's up to something! I knew we could never trust her!" Nabooru yelled.

"Nabooru, are you feeling well? You've been acting differently lately," Malon asked, concerned for her friend.

"Maybe it's that time of the month," Darunia added but was only met with eight pairs of angry eyes. "Heh. Heh. Just kidding."

"Link!" Zelda screeched. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Link stumbled out of the carriage in disarray. His hair was more unruly than it usually was and his clothes were torn slightly. He picked up his hat from the carriage floor and put it back on his head. His eyes looked as if they had seen a million Ganondorfs. Link looked at the girls in front of him but said nothing. He then looked at Ruto and glared. _"Why me? Why do I have to go through this? Gee… there goes my first kiss that I was saving for Malon…"_

"Link? Are you okay? You don't look so well," Zelda cooed.

"I'm…fine… It was a bumpy ride."

"What the Din? Did you go down Death Mountain?" Nabooru joked.

"Yeah, it was pretty rocky and uncomfortable."

_"Something tells me he's not telling the truth,"_ Malon glanced over at the overly-happy Ruto. _"I'm guessing she had a pretty exciting ride."_

Jealously overwhelmed the girl. The thought of another female taking advantage of Link angered Malon to no extent. She wanted to march over to Ruto and give her a piece of her mind and her fist, but she remained calm. Violence wouldn't solve anything, but it would make Malon feel a lot better.

Soon the king finally arrived in his fancy carriage. He, smiling and eating some food he had stocked in his carriage, walked toward the group. "Whoa! What happen to you Link?" the king laughed.

Link glared. "…."

The king continued to laugh. He studied the area. "Yep, this is it. This is where we're going to have the next game," he turned to everyone. "Well, is everyone ready for the next challenge?"

"No."

"Good! Let's get going!"

**Notes: **Thank you for all the reviews! Keep them coming!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

The king led the group toward the top of the hill where the next game would take place. Nobody knew what was in store for them; all they could do was wait until the king gave them their instructions. At the top of the hill, the king's henchmen were lined up awaiting their leader to signal the game to begin. He instructed the group to wait while he scanned the area. Everything was in place. He turned and faced everyone. "Do you see those barrels over there?" he pointed behind the group. They nodded slowly. "There are nine barrels over there for each of our contestants."

Before he could finish giving instructions, Ruto looked beyond the king and saw the course. "What the? What are you going to make us do?"

The hill was set with large spikes, sharp rocks, and any other dangerous objects one could imagine. Long red lines partnered with numbers separated the course evenly. At the bottom of the hill there were referees lined up. The king placed his hands on his hips, obviously infuriated that Ruto had interrupted him. "Well, if you would wait, I will get to why those are there."

He took a deep breath and replaced his frown with his trademark grin. "Now, before I was so rudely interrupted. You all will be assigned a number. Each of you will line up at the number you were given and you climb inside a barrel. My men will push you down and you'll race down the hill to the finish line. The course has been set up so each contestant has an equal chance. And besides, it makes it more challenging. I call it, the Race of Doom! The last one to cross the finish line loses."

"Will the barrels protect us from the objects?" asked Zelda who was also frightened by the course.

"That's a silly question to ask!" the king shouted. "Of course!"

There was doubt in the air. Link fidgeted his hands behind his back. The king was putting their lives in danger again, and he had little concern for their well beings. The king tauntingly waved around his studded cane as he assigned a number to each of the contestants with Zelda being number one. After all girls and Darunia were assigned numbers, they lined up accordingly.

"I'll give each of you five minutes to collect your thoughts and prepare. I promise you it's not as bad as you think it is," the king marched to his carriage for a small snack to eat.

"Link," Malon, who was assigned at number four, called, "I'm worried."

Link walked over to her side and placed a hand on her tiny shoulder. He could feel her shaking. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to you. I promise."

Ruto, who was assigned at number three, crossed her arms. "This is absolutely ridiculous. He must be joking. He must be!"

Impa studied her barrel closely. "I hate to say this, but these barrels are pretty rusty and old. I don't think they can withstand what they're about to go through. I don't think he's joking, Ruto."

Ruto's arms dropped. "I don't believe this. I can't believe he's about to make us do this! Swimming with sharks was one thing but this is too much!"

Link agreed with Ruto. The king was definitely out of hand, and his games were considered a nightmare to anyone with a sense of reason and sanity. All Link could do was watch the girls be pushed down the hill. Darunia had skin as hard as a rock. Link wasn't concerned for him but he was concerned for the girls because their skin did not have a protective layering like the Gorons. Ruto's skin was different from the others; her skin was made for being in water or a cool environment, and it should not be exposed to such harsh conditions. And although Link was upset with her, she was still his friend and he did care about her. Besides, he was never able to carry a grudge.

The group spent the remaining time collecting their thoughts. They were determined to win--they had to no matter what was standing in their way. Link also spent time mustering his thoughts. He never wanted this. Why was he still blaming himself for something he couldn't control? Link looked at Malon, who was holding her hands under her chin. She was thinking. Link wondered what was going through her mind at that moment. He wanted to reach out, grab her hands, and tell her he would fix everything for her. But he didn't. All he could do was watch as the king approached the group.

"Are you all ready?" he asked expecting a positive answer from the group. Of course, he only received moans of protest from them. He shook his head. "I'm ashamed of you. You wanted in this competition for Link and you don't even want to try! If you want to be with Link, you have to be able to go through what he has gone through."

"Actually, I was never placed in a barrel and hurled down a hill before," Link said.

"Hush Link. You obviously don't know what you're talking about," the king held up his hand to quiet the hero which further irritated the blonde man. "If any of you ladies and Gorons don't want to be in this competition anymore then this is your chance to leave."

No one moved.

"If no one wants to leave then I don't want to hear anymore complaining. Climb into your barrels," said the king. The group did as they were told. Malon took in a few deep breaths before closing her eyes shut. There was no point of having them open; she was stuffed in a barrel and could not see the course. Keeping them open would only make her dizzy and possibly ill.

It seemed as if they were waiting forever for the king to give them the sign to begin. He stalled intentionally. Silence filled the air. Link could hear the girls breathing harder by each second. They were nervous. _He_ was nervous for them.

The king stared at the sky. "Such a lovely day. Don't you agree, Link?"

"It's nice…"

The king began humming and moving his fingers along with the beat of his own voice. This only made the tension in the air thicken. Link crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the ground. _"Why is he stalling like this? Does he want everyone to pull out their own hair?"_

The unofficial spokesperson for the group, Nabooru, spoke up for everyone. "Are you going to tell us to go or what!"

The king was pulled out of his daydream of sorts. "I was about to! No wonder Ganondorf didn't like you. I'm sure you nagged him all day and night."

Link's eyes widened. Nabooru did not liked to be reminded of her past when she worked for Ganondorf, and the king had no problem with rubbing it in her face. Link could feel the anger rising from Nabooru's barrel. He slowly backed away from the king incase Nabooru decided to lunge at him. The king definitely needed to think before he spoke.

"Enough!" Nabooru growled.

The king stepped back. "Okay! Okay! I was just joking. I didn't know you didn't have a sense of humor. I thought that was just patience."

Link shook his head. _"He sure knows how to get under someone's skin. Poor Nabooru. I'm surprised she hasn't attacked him yet."_

"Can you please say go? This barrel isn't the most uncomfortable thing in the world," Malon spoke up from her spot. She couldn't handle the suspense much longer.

The king smiled. "Well, since Malon asked politely I might as well let you excited bunch get rolling!"

Silence. He wasn't making anything better--just worse.

He looked to the left and then to the right before giving his henchmen the signal to push the barrels. It was a rather long roll because the hill was so high up from field below. Link watched from his spot beside the king. He could hear some of the females screaming as they rolled. He didn't want to watch; however, he found that he couldn't pry his eyes off the course.

"Aren't you a little concern for their safety?" asked Link.

The king nodded. "Safety? Are you crazy? That's the first thing I always think of when it comes to my brilliant ideas."

Link rolled his eyes. "Why would you put your own daughter through this? Aren't you afraid you'll lose her?"

"Zelda can take care of her own self. You of all people should know that."

He was right about that. Zelda was the toughest girl he knew beside Malon. Link shifted his weight. "What about Ruto? She's the princess of Zora's Domain. Don't you think her father would be extremely angry if something were to happen to her?"

"I have all that settled already."

The king's statement picked at Link's curiosity. "What do you mean by that?"

"Her father and I came up with an agreement. In order for the princess to be in this competition, her father had to give me all rights to her. And because I'm the king, anything that happens to her is neither mine nor his fault. It's hers because she wanted to be in this game. Silly princess," the king laughed.

"Wait! You bought Ruto?"

"With the way you phrase it, you make everything sound worse than it really is. No, I didn't _buy_ her. I just had to make an agreement with her father so I wouldn't be held accountable for something that could happen to her. Her father would do anything for food. Even hand his daughter over to me. She's free to return home anytime she wishes."

"I hate to admit it, but he's pretty sneaky, bribing Ruto's father with food so she could participate in this stupid deal. How could anyone be so heartless?"

Link's attention was suddenly drawn to the screams of the girls. He could hear Malon screaming as her barrel hit one of the spikes. Thankfully, her barrel did not take too much damage from the impact. He rushed to the edge to view more of the _carnage_. Everyone seemed to be fairly even in the race. Saria's and Darunia's barrel seemed to be ahead by a little.

"Looks like we almost have a winner. Look how close they are to the finish line!" the king jumped up and down and clapped his hands like a child. Link ignored him and continued watching.

Then it happened. Saria's barrel was stopped momentarily by the impact of one of the rocks. This helped Darunia gain first place as he rolled across the finish line. Saria came in a close second, followed by Nabooru, Zelda, Impa, Malon, Ruto, and one of the unknown villager girls. The king and Link got into the carriage and hurried down the hill. Upon arriving, Darunia was being helped out of his barrel. It seems it was too small for him.

Zelda held her stomach. "I don't feel well. I think I'm going to be sick," she covered her mouth and rushed off from everyone's view. Only Malon followed the princess to hold back her hair. Impa took a seat beside Nabooru to rest. Any sudden movement by her would make her join Zelda. Ruto was still in her barrel making moaning noises that no one could make out. Saria ran around as if the race had little effect on her.

"Where's our loser? Did she make it to the finish line?" the king asked, looking at the girl's lane. "Clean up in line eight!" A spike had gone right through the middle of the girl's barrel. Link looked away. Another death all because of him. It was the timid girl that he winked at earlier.

The king's men rushed to her barrel and pried it off the spike. They heard some noises from the barrel. She was still alive, but barely. "She's still alive, sir!"

"Well, she won't be for too long if you men just stand there. Hurry up and bring her to the doctor."

_"Oh, thank you Nayru!"_ Link smiled as he looked up toward the sky.

Darunia came stumbling toward Link and the king. "Did I win?" he said with his slurred words.

The king nodded. "Looks like you win a date with Link!"

Link gulped. He had forgotten about that little stipulation.

"Brother, did you hear that? We get to spend time together! There are a lot of things I wanted to teach you about the Gorons, but you were so busy with saving Hyrule. Now I'll have time to teach you the Goron way!" Darunia moved closer to catch Link in a big Goron hug.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" was Link's reaction.

**Notes: **This is a surprise--a quick update! Hopefully I can do this more often. Thank you for all the reviews, and thank you for sharing your ideas with me!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

As night lingered on, Link could not help but become more and more fearful of dawn. Time was playing with him. And even though sleep was impatiently waiting for him, he could not bear to meet it. Link sat on his bed, glancing out the window. The moon would be full in a few nights. A smirk danced on his lips. Memories of full moon nights rushed forward.

"Malon…" her name escaped his lips.

It was true. How much longer must he deny it--his feelings for her? It wasn't always like this. At one point of his life he could only picture her as a friend. He never thought that one day he would be pining for her. As they grew closer as friends, his feelings for her changed. Although, he was unsure of how she felt about him, and he could never tell her that he liked her more than a friend. What if she turned away from him?

"It was on a night like this when I realized my feelings for her," Link mumbled to himself. He had felt horrible for not spending more time with her. Although it could not have been helped, he still felt responsible that their friendship had been fading. He was too busy with being a hero and she was busy keeping the ranch in order. He occasionally stopped by to check up on her, and he even made excuses that Epona wasn't feeling well and he needed to bring her to Lon Lon Ranch.

But just saying the occasional hello wasn't enough. Their relationship demanded more.

He needed to see her more. He needed to speak with her more. He wanted to know more about the girl who warmly welcomed him into her home and treated him as a dear family member. Hell, he wanted to eat more of her home cooking.

Link rested his head on the soft pillow beneath him. Tiredness was overwhelming. He refused to succumb to it. Instead, he stared out the window as he recalled that night.

_"Link, where are you taking me?" Malon called out. She was blindfolded as Link gently pulled her with him. "I haven't seen you in months, and all of a sudden, you come to the ranch and want to take me somewhere."_

_Link laughed. "Is it so wrong to want to spend time with you?"_

_"No, but… you just disappear and then suddenly come back. What am I supposed to think?" Malon said in an almost whisper._

_Although she could not see his face, Link was frowning. "Malon, you know I get very busy at times. Sometimes I have to go here and there because the king sends me to do the stupidest things for him," he laughed slightly. "I'm sorry. You know I don't want to lose you as a friend."_

_"A friend," she paused, "I'm glad to know that I'm just a friend to you."_

_"What?" Link asked, not completely hearing her._

_"Oh, nothing. I was just saying that I'm glad that you consider me a friend. I was afraid we would kind of grow apart because we…both have to very different lives…" she stopped, still holding his hand as he led her further._

_"Oh c'mon, Mal. You always have to make things sound so depressing."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?"_

_Link laughed again. "You and I might have 'different lives' but we're still friends. You were the first friend I made outside of Kokiri, and even when I was living there, I didn't have many friends. You and your father helped me a lot when I was on my journey. I'm grateful."_

_She smiled. "Of course."_

_Link led her further to a small pond just outside the ranch. There were patches of beautiful flowers stretched along the scenery. The only light was provided by the full moon and the small stars shining in the distance. Few fireflies also provided an unintentional light as they flew in the air. If Link were on a date, it would have been the perfect place._

_"Okay, you can take off the blindfold now."_

_Malon quickly uncovered her eyes. She was in complete awe. "Wow! How did you find this place?"_

_"I was riding Epona one day and just stumbled here. It's really peaceful, you know. I like to come here and think," Link scratched the back of his neck. "I like to think of it as my personal hideout when I want to get away from all the drama in the castle."_

_Malon smiled. "You're lucky. All I have is the barn if I want to escape from the drama," she laughed, handing the blindfold to Link. "Want to trade places?"_

_Link laughed. "Hmm… No."_

_Malon walked toward the small pond, kicking off her boots and sticking her feet in the water. It was cold, but she enjoyed the cool water. She could see small fish swimming in the water. She giggled. "So, why did you want to spend time with me? Are you that bored in the castle?"_

_"No," Link crossed his arms. "I just felt bad that I haven't seen you in awhile. You are one of my closest friends even though we hardly talk anymore."_

_Malon ran her hands through the cool water. "That makes me feel better knowing you consider me a close friend," she paused, looking up at the moon. "Growing up, I never really had friends. I live in the middle of no where. There were no other children for me to play with when I was younger. The only time I ever saw other kids was when I went to Hyrule Market and Kakariko Village. But even then, I couldn't play with them because I was 'working'. It was quite a lonely childhood, I guess."_

_Link moved closer to the red-headed girl. "I'm sorry."_

_"Why are you apologizing? You were really my first friend. Well, other than the horses, my father, and my mother before she passed away. You'd come to the ranch to play with me even when you were collecting those gems or whatever you were doing," she laughed again. "You even helped me do my chores, and even went with my father and me on deliveries."_

_Link sat down next to Malon. "Remember that time the cuccos got loose?"_

_"Oh Din! I remember! Ingo went crazy! Remember when he tried to catch them himself?"_

_"Yeah! They attacked him! He looked so horrible after they got done with him," Link fell back onto the ground laughing. "Then we had to save him. He was so angry."_

_"'I don't need saving from kids! I'm a grown man! I can do it myself!'" Malon said, mocking Ingo in a gruff voice._

_"Hah! Hah! That sounds just like him!"_

_"Why thank you," she grinned. "I work on my Ingo impression every day. I'm glad all that work pays off."_

_When the laughter died down, Malon turned to Link who was still lying on the ground and his arms under his head. She smiled. What was it about him that made girls go wild? Sure, he was good-looking, charming, and of course, a hero. He was polite and kind to everyone. But Malon could careless about him being the Hero of Time. She didn't care that he was good-looking and popular with everyone in Hyrule._

_It was a question that she could never answer._

_"So," she began, "why don't you tell me some stories from the castle? You never really tell me anything that happens there."_

_"Well, because nothing happens. Except that the king is strange. Did you know he sleeps with a teddy bear named Carlito and talks to himself in his sleep?" Link snorted. "One day, he tells me I have to go on an urgent mission. Come to find out, he lost his teddy bear. He told me it was bear-napped by the Gerudos."_

_Malon fell down next to Link laughing._

_"Oh no, there's more. He makes me go all the way to the Gerudo Fortress to rescue it. Nabooru had no idea what the king was talking about. So, when I returned to the castle, the king was claiming that he would declare war on the Gerudos if they didn't give Carlito back. Then he goes to his room in a fit, comes back out two seconds later and says, 'I found Carlito! Those Gerudos must have been so scared, they snuck back in here and put him back on my bed!'"_

_Malon then rolled around laughing, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes. "I didn't know the king was like that! He seems to regal and sophisticated in public."_

_"Yeah, well, he acts one way in public."_

_Malon stood up and dusted her dress off. She placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the blonde man under her. "You're one to talk."_

_Link stopped laughing and opened his eyes. She was hovering over him with narrowed eyes scanning his. Even when she was angry she was still cute. "What are you ranting about now?"_

_She scoffed. "You know very well what I'm 'ranting' about. You portray yourself to be this silent hero who's only meaning in life is to protect Hyrule. I've seen you in public before. I know how you act. You don't even crack a smile. You show almost little emotion. Sometimes, you act like you're not even human. I don't know why you can't be comfortable with being yourself in the public eye."_

_"I don't like being out in the public, Malon. I don't like it… And I never act like I'm being someone else. What am I supposed to do when I'm being watched by hundreds? Roll around like a dog with my tongue hanging out? Would that be 'acting like myself'?" he said, with a small hint of anger in his tone._

_She said nothing. Instead, she began walking away from him. He quirked an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"_

_"Home. I'm tired…"_

_"By yourself? It's dangerous out there!"_

_"I can take care of myself, thank you."_

_"Malon! Are you mad at me?"_

_She ignored his last comment and continued walking. Link stood up and ran after her, quickly catching up with her. He stopped in front of her and tried to get her to look at him. "Malon, what's wrong?"_

_"Nothing…"_

_Link narrowed his eyes. "Nothing? I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me. Did I say something wrong?"_

_She stopped and finally looked him in the eye. "You want to know why I'm so upset? You used to come to the ranch everyday. Then suddenly, you stopped coming. Then your visits keep growing shorter and shorter. This is the first time I've seen you in months!" she turned away. "You're my friend… I guess my only friend if you don't include the horses. I'm afraid I'll lose my only friend. You act so different when you're with me. So, I guess I feel like I'm special to you because you show me a side you don't show everyone else. But then I'm just reminded of how little I see you, and when I do you see in public, you hardly cast an eye on me. Are you embarrassed to be my friend? Is that why you act so differently toward me in public?"_

_Link was speechless. How was he supposed to answer to that? "No…that's not it. I don't know why I do a lot of things…"_

_That wasn't the answer she was looking for. "So you are embarrassed to be my friend," she pushed herself away from him and began walking off again. Link stood there silently, looking at the ground. Without turning his head or looking up, he called out to her._

_"Malon."_

_She ignored him._

_"Malon…"_

_She kept walking._

_"Malon!"_

_He clinched his fist._

_Link turned around and briskly walked up to her, grabbing her and throwing her over his shoulder. She screamed in protest as he carried her back to the pond. She was shocked. What was he doing? "Link, stop! Please put me down!"_

_He didn't reply. He placed her on the ground and grabbed her wrists harshly so she couldn't run off again. She still could not say anything. His faced moved closer to hers. "How could you say that? Is that what you believe? That I'm embarrassed to be your friend?"_

_She opened her mouth as if to say something, but there was no sound._

_"Malon, I'm sorry. I do act differently around you. You know why? Because I feel so comfortable around you. I know I can be myself and I won't be judged or criticized. Because I know you accept me for who I really am. Everyone else expects me to live up to their ideal hero. Why not give them what they want? It's not like my feelings matter to them. All I am to them is the Hero of Time. They don't see me as Link, no. I'm just the Hero of Time to them…"_

_Malon wanted to wrap her arms around him and hug him tightly. But seeing as he moved away from her, all she did was watch._

_"I don't want the public to see my other side. Sometimes, I feel like they wouldn't even care. Heh. I'm not worried about it though," he looked at her. "I'm sorry. I'm complaining again. I really have nothing to complain about. I live in the castle. I can have anything I want. But, sometimes… sometimes what I really want can't be given to me in rupees."_

_"No, I'm sorry for saying those things. I should have kept my mouth shut…" Malon stood up, turning away from Link. "I really never thought of how you felt about things. I was being selfish."_

_"Aw, don't say that. That's not true. Look, let's just forget this ever happened," Link grabbed her shoulder and turned her toward him. Two damp streaks flowed down her cheeks. "Malon…"_

_"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I wish you knew how important you are to me. I'm scared that one day you'll leave and never come back," Malon wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest._

_Link was taken back. His jaw dropped slightly. Acting on impulse, he held her back._

_"Please don't cry. I'm not going to leave forever…" he sighed. He really didn't know what to do but to try to comfort her. "I should take you back home."_

_"No!" she shouted in protest. "I mean, I don't want to go back right now…"_

_He smiled. "All right. We'll stay a bit longer."_

_"Thank you…"_

_She looked up, catching his ever-so-watchful gaze. She smiled. "Thank you…" she whispered again. She released her arms from around him and stared at the moon. "You know that silly legend about full moon nights?"_

_"No, never heard about it."_

_"My mother told me it before she passed away. She said that every full moon night, two lovers find each other. It's supposed to be a silly story, but I was reminded of it just now…"_

_Link blushed and cleared his throat. "That is a silly legend…"_

_"I wish it were true though… I wish my knight in shining armor would come to me…" she said in an inaudible whisper that went undetected by Link._

_Link stuck his hands in the two slots in his tunic and slowly walked up to Malon. She turned around, smiling. The wind gently played with her hair. She looked so serene. Her sapphire eyes glimmered playfully as if they were dying to tell Link something._

_His lips parted slightly. He could feel a knot form in his throat. "Beautiful…" he choked out._

_"Yeah, isn't it?" Malon giggled. "I've always loved the full moon. I wonder what's up there? I guess we'll never know, right?"_

_"Right…"_

_"I used to watch the stars every night, thinking I would find a shooting star to cast my dreams on. I guess that's just being naïve. Dreams can't simply come true just by wishing. You've got to go out there and make them come true," she smirked. "Too bad it's never easy. But if you really want something, it's worth all the risks."_

_"You sure are ambitious."_

_"What's wrong with being ambitious?" she pouted, tilting her head slightly to the side._

_"Nothing. I'd admire that in you."_

_She blushed. "Oh stop. You're making me blush."_

_He couldn't help but smile after seeing her smile. She was an ambitious, strong-willed girl with many dreams. A girl who had gone through so much but was still able to smile and laugh despite her hardships. A girl who had captured his heart. At that moment, seeing her sweet smile yanked at his heart. What was it he was feeling? Never in his life had he felt this way toward anyone. Why now?_

_"We should go now," she grabbed his arm. "It's starting to sprinkle a little."_

_He was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of her voice. "Yeah, let's go."_

_"Link," she said before they left the area. "can this be _our_ special place?"_

_He smiled. "Sure can."_

_"Yes!" she laughed. "That means I don't have to hide in the barn anymore when I want to be alone!"_

Link smiled to himself. It was on that very night that he realized that he liked her more than a friend. He had opened up to her, and told her many things he would never tell anyone else. They shared secrets with each other, but most of all, he trusted her. Not saying he never trusted other people. But Malon was different. She could relate to him in so many ways, and she understood a lot of things he had endured.

After that night, Link managed to visit her at least three times a week. It was more than enough. He helped her with her chores, went on deliveries with her, and played his ocarina as she sung her mother's song.

He remembered one day when they were riding horses throughout Hyrule field. A Stalfo had appeared and frightened her horse, tossing Malon off its back. Link remembered being scared when he saw Malon not moving. Quickly killing the Stalfo, he brought her back to the ranch and took care of her. Thankfully, she was just unconscious and suffered few bumps and bruises. He remembered telling her she had scared him to death. All she did was hug him tightly, thanking him over and over for helping her.

But those were just few memories he shared with her.

Link closed his eyes. It was almost midnight. He rolled over on his side. He knew what awaited him unpleasantly soon. It was unbelievable what had occurred in only a week. The whole competition was a mess but the king had no idea. Or maybe he planned it to be such?

"I can't fall asleep… I… don't want to…sleep…"

And sleep won the battle.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Link rolled over onto his side. He cracked open one eyelid and peered out. It was morning. Reaching for a pillow, he covered his head and mumbled words of disapproval. He knew what awaited him. Feeling someone near, he quickly sat up and found a hard-breathing Goron watching over him.

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHH! What the hell are you doing in my room?" Link screeched, reaching for the sheets and covering his bare chest. "How did you get in here! The door was locked!"

Darunia sighed. "You aren't happy to see me, Brother?"

"You really don't want to know that answer," he turned away. "And I'm not your brother. Would you stop calling me that?"

Darunia pouted. "The king gave me the key to your room. He told me to wake you up."

Link narrowed his eyes. The king had some nerve giving Darunia the key to his bedroom. Link replaced his frown with a half smile. "Well, wasn't that nice of the king," he replied sarcastically. "Look, I don't want to be mean, but I really don't feel comfortable with you being that close to me."

Darunia realized at that point hovering over Link wasn't the best idea. He slowly backed away smiling like a child. "You should get ready. Little Link wants to see you again!"

Link tried to smile but it just wasn't coming. "Yeah, I guess I should get ready…"

Darunia did not move.

"Yep, I'm going to get ready now…"

He still did not move.

Realizing Darunia didn't understand what he was trying to say, Link spoke up. "I like to dress in private…"

"Oh, okay! I'll be with the king in the throne room! I'll see you then!" Darunia waved to his _brother_ and left him in the comfort of solitude.

Link sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

The king paced back and forth. The females, who were abruptly pulled out of bed, yawned and rubbed their eyes. It was too early in the morning for them to be awake. They were supposed to have a free day, but the look on the king's face said otherwise. He stopped, grinning at Darunia. "Well, old friend, what do you have planned for Link today?" 

"I want to invite him to an ancient Goron ceremony, and teach him many Goron ways," Darunia spoke with pride booming in his voice. "After all, he and I are brothers!"

"Right," the king rolled his eyes. "As for my lovely ladies, I have a great day planned for us!"

Before the ladies could protest, Link entered the throne room dressed in his usual attire. He glanced at the ladies. Seeing from their faces, he knew the king had said something unpleasant. Whether he be for him or for them, he did not know.

"Brother!" Darunia ran up to Link, giving him a traditional Goron hug.

Link's eyes almost popped out of his head. "I…can't…breathe…!"

Darunia released him. He laughed nervously. "Are you ready to start the day?"

Link dusted his tunic. He turned and glanced at the ladies behind him, who quickly avoided eye contact. Link narrowed his eyes; they sure were supportive. Link turned back and faced Darunia. "Sure. Let's just get this day over with…"

Darunia laughed, roughly slapping Link on his back. "I have a present for you!"

"Uh-oh…"

Darunia grabbed a wrapped box from the table and handed it to Link. "Open it!"

"…."

Link slowly unwrapped the box and opened it slightly to peek in. "What is it?"

"Open it and see for yourself!"

Link sighed and tossed the box's cover. "…a rock…"

Darunia laughed. "Happy Goron Day!"

"What the fu--"

"Don't you love it, Link?" the king smiled, almost as if he were secretly Ganondorf himself. "Today happens to be Goron Appreciation Day! It's a special day the Gorons celebrate every five years to show appreciation to their brothers!"

"I've never heard of this day before. Did you just make it up?" Link took the rock out of the box and examined it. It was just a regular rock from outside the castle gates.

"…No."

"You're supposed to eat the rock, Link," Darunia added.

"Excuse me?" Link shifted his attention to the Goron leader.

"You're supposed to eat the rock. It's tradition."

"I don't eat rocks…"

Darunia's face grew long. "Oh…"

Link sighed. Feeling bad for offending Darunia, he looked at the rock again. "But, I guess there's a first time for everything," he lifted the rock to his mouth, opening it slightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He paused. _"I can't believe I'm doing this. I look like a moron. But I don't want to offend Darunia, but… I can't do this. No, I'm not going to eat a rock."_

Before Link could pull the rock away from his mouth, the king walked up and shoved the rock into his mouth. "Don't stall, Link. Gorons eat them. Why can't you?"

Link's eyes shot open and he flailed his arms wildly. "AGRAHHH!"

"Oh c'mon Link. Don't be a girly man. Eat the rock. Stop fighting it."

"Hey! Stop it!"

The king dropped the rock at the sound of a certain girl's disapproval. Link dropped to his knees as he gasped for air. The king looked at the group of girls. "Who said that?"

They were silent.

"Someone said it. I want to know who," he raised his voice with a slight hint of anger.

"I-I did."

It was Malon.

The king approached her slowly. He towered over her small frame, glaring down at her. It was a bit intimidated but she couldn't stand by and watch the king treat Link the way he did. The other females backed away slowly from Malon, leaving the red-haired girl by herself.

"Is there something you want to say?"

She gulped, looking over at Link, who was still filling his lungs with the needed oxygen he was without just moments earlier. "Y-you shouldn't force him to e-eat that rock."

The king moved closer to her, running his hands through her red hair. "I like you. You don't let power intimidate you. You stand up for what you believe in. I like that in a woman. But defiance is another story. Would _you_ like to eat that rock?"

Malon's eyes shot open. Was he going to force _her_ to eat the rock?

He grabbed her arm harshly and pulled her toward Link. She struggled to get out of his grip, but he overpowered her greatly. "Please don't!"

"I have to teach you a lesson. No one defies me."

The king bent over to pick up the rock; however, Link quickly pushed the rock away from the king. Although he was still weaken from almost being suffocated to death, Link still had enough strength to help Malon.

The king pouted. "Now why did you do that, Link?"

Link looked at the floor, taking deep breaths of air. The king shrugged his shoulders and released Malon. She quickly ran back to the other group of girls who comforted her. _"Thank you, Link. You've always protected me,"_ Malon thanked Link consciously.

The king bent down at Link's level. "The first rule in being a man is to never let a woman get out of her place. You'll lose control over them if you let them do whatever they want."

"I don't control women…" Link hissed, never taking his eyes off the floor.

"That's because you don't have a woman to control," the king laughed, patting Link on his back. "Here, let me help you off the floor. You look horrible."

"Gee, I wonder why…"

The king lifted Link off the floor and placed his hand on his shoulder. "There you go, my boy. When you get back from your day with Darunia, I'll teach you how to treat a woman. I have a human-sized doll in the back I practice on."

"…I think I'll pass on that offer."

Darunia shifted his eyes back and forth, looking lost and confused. "Um… Can we go now?"

"Sure, have fun!" the king waved madly as the two left the castle. Once they were out of the throne room, the king turned to the women. He grinned. "I have a lot of fun things in store for us today!"

* * *

"Are you okay, Link?" Darunia asked as they walked up Death Mountain Trail. Link hadn't spoken a word since they left the castle, and Darunia was beginning to worry. 

"I'm fine…"

Darunia decided to stop talking at that point. Instead, he continued to lead Link to Goron City. Nothing had changed since the last time Link visited. He crossed his arms, waiting for Darunia to fill him in on what they were to spend their day doing.

Darunia sighed. "Now that we're away from the castle, I can finally relax," he turned to Link. "Little Link wants to see you again. He's always talking about you."

Link raised his eyebrow. Something was different.

He followed Darunia back to his chambers where his son played with a few toys. Little Link looked up, "Link!"

Link smiled half-heartedly at the kid. It wasn't that he had anything against the kid, it was just that he wasn't in the best of moods. He slightly hugged the young Goron back. Little Link smiled. "I still want to be a great hero like you!"

Darunia laughed. "You still have a long way to go. Now, Link and I have some business to talk about. Why don't you go outside and play?"

Little Link nodded and left the two adults to talk. "What business do we have to talk about? What about that ceremony?"

"There is no ceremony."

Link remained silent. So there was something different.

"I made everything up. A few days ago, the king came to me and asked if I wanted to participate in this competition. At first I said no because it was a competition for marriage. We Gorons don't marry, especially to Hylian men. But he insisted that I participate. When I continued to decline his offer, he told me he would discontinue the deal we had made," Darunia explained.

"Deal?"

"We had made a deal after Ganondorf was sealed away. As you know, Dodongo's Cavern is our primary food supply. However, it is property of the king, like most of Hyrule except for the Gerudo territory. He placed the Dodongo's Cavern into my care, but he could cut that off anytime he sees fit. He wasn't looking for anything in return. The Dodongo's Cavern serves no purpose for anyone but us Gorons. For the sake of my people, I had to go along with him. I might have high authority here, but the king has the highest authority in Hyrule," Darunia looked down, crossing his arms.

"I see. So in order to get you to participate, he threatened to cut off your food supply. You pretended to act like you were in the competition for something, and you made up stories for the king to go along with. But why was he so desperate to get you in the competition?" Link asked, rubbing his chin in thought.

"I wish I knew. I was not allowed to speak of our meeting, and I was told to play along no matter how degrading it was."

Link bit his lower lip. "What is the king up to? There's got to be something he's getting out of this," Link turned his attention to the Goron leader. "What are you going to do now?"

"Continue with the competition until I get eliminated, I suppose," Darunia sat down in his chair. "I'm sure you haven't got any peace and quiet for awhile. Just take this time to relax."

"I can't relax knowing there's something wrong with this competition. Does anyone else know about this?" asked Link.

"I don't know. I don't talk to the other Sages so I wouldn't know," Darunia sighed. "I feel horrible for that red-headed girl. The king likes to be in charge, and when someone steps up to question his authority, he punishes them. Even if they are not in the wrong, he'll punish them."

"Malon… How dare he put his hands on her… She was just trying to defend me."

"You know her, huh?"

"…Yes."

"You like her, don't you?"

"N-no. S-she's just a good f-friend," Link stuttered.

"Good try."

Link shook his head. He was really bad at hiding his feelings. He tried though.

"Listen, since I'm not really interested in winning this thing, how about I help you?"

"How so?"

"I'll help that girl win. There's not much she can do, considering she doesn't have an advantage like we Sages have. She seems like a sweet girl and you like her. How about that?" Darunia laughed.

"What do you want in return?" asked Link.

"Nothing. I'm just trying to help a friend out."

Link smiled. "Thank you."

"Just promise you won't speak of today to anyone. If the king finds out you know… My people will suffer…"

"I promise he won't find out. Just keep doing what you've been doing and he'll never know. Besides, what are brothers for anyway?"

* * *

"A pie-eating contest?" Ruto shouted. "You have got to be kidding? What is this for anyway? I thought we were supposed to have a day off!" 

"No, you lost the last round. Why should losers relax?" laughed the king. "Besides, you _are_ competing for something: this handy-dandy empty bottle!" he held an empty bottle in his hands. It look as if he had just emptied it before he announced the game.

"What are we going to do with an empty bottle? It looks old and dirty," added Impa.

"There's a lot of things you can do with it. You can put stuff in it. You can use it as a door stop. You can throw it at innocent people. You can pee in it and then throw it at people," the king laughed. "Oh the memories of that."

The girls looked at each other. "Um…"

"The point is you can use it for all sorts of things. It's great!"

"So we have to eat pie?" Nabooru asked. "I'm not really a fan of pie."

"This isn't just any kind of pie! This is a special recipe passed down from generation to generation in the royal family," said the king. "Now, take a seat and bring out the pie!"

Two servants came in holding trays of pie. Setting them down on the table and lining them up in front of the girls, they bowed respectfully and quickly left. The king smiled proudly. "Now put your hands behind you back. I don't want anyone cheating."

"How can you cheat eating pie?" Nabooru asked.

"Hush! You just can!"

She sighed, rolling her eyes. Once everyone was in position, the king counted down. Once he said go, the ladies buried their heads in the pie in front of them. "You ladies aren't trying hard enough. Eat more! Take bigger bites! Forget breathing, just eat!"

"This pie tastes old…" Saria said.

"It tastes like dirt," complained Ruto which won her odd stares from everyone. "Not like I would know what dirt tastes like. I was just giving…an…example…heh."

"Oh stop complaining! You're just jealous because you can't cook like me," the king crossed his arms. "I try to do something nice for a change and no one appreciates it."

"You cooked it? That explains why it tastes horrible," Nabooru commented. "I give up. I'm not eating this crap."

"It's not crap! It's pie!" the king yelled.

"I can't eat anymore…" said Zelda, lifting her face from the pie.

"Oh please. With your eating habits, you could eat everyone's pie."

"Father!" her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Now be a good girl and eat your pie," he shoved Zelda's head into the pie.

"MMARF!" the only thing that could be heard was Zelda's muffled screams and her father's insane laughter.

"Finished."

The king let go of Zelda and rushed to Impa, who had eaten all her pie without one complaint. "We have a winner! Here's your empty bottle!" the king handed Impa her prize.

"Gee. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I guess I should go pee in it and throw it at someone."

"That's the spirit! You go do that!" the king laughed.

At that moment, Link and Darunia had returned from the outing. The king welcomed them back into his castle. "Welcome back. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, loads of it," replied Link.

"It was wonderful! I showed him many secret Goron traditions. We enjoyed ourselves very much," Darunia answered, falling back into the character he had been playing for the king.

Link realized at that moment how much respect he had for Darunia. He would publicly embarrass himself just for the sake of his people. His devotion and love for the Goron people was what motivated him to continue, even if it would cost him his pride.

"You two just missed a pie-eating contest. Impa won. I think she left to pee into her prize. Hah! Hah!"

"…."

"Everyone has the rest of the day to relax. I'm tired. I worked hard all day. Tomorrow we'll have round four of the competition so be prepared," with that, the king left and headed for his chambers.

Another round of the competition was just a day away. Link needed to find out what the king was planning before the competition ended. Something was mysteriously wrong with the whole idea. "I'm going for a walk," he said before leaving the throne room.

Malon excused herself from the table and ran after Link. "Link!"

Ruto went to follow the red-headed girl but was stopped abruptly by Darunia, who was shaking his head. "Leave them alone."

"But…!"

In the hallway, he tucked his hands in his pockets. A lot of things were running through his mind at that moment. Suddenly he heard Malon calling out to him. He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for helping me earlier. I really appreciate it," she stopped in front of him.

"Did you really think I would let him hurt you?"

"I don't know…"

"I should be thanking you though. I feel like an idiot for letting him do that to me."

"There's nothing you can do about it though--he's _the king_."

"Yeah, but the way he treats people is wrong," he paused. "Listen, I need some time alone. I have stuff I want to think about. You understand, right?"

She smiled half-heartedly. "Yes. I'll leave you to your thoughts. Good night."

With that she left the Hero of Time to himself. He watched her walk away sadly. Feeling nothing could be done about it, Link retired to his room for the night.

**Notes: **Thank you everyone who has reviewed. There will be another round in the competition in the next chapter.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Her feet swept the hallway silently, guiding her to her destination unnoticed. The red-headed girl quietly opened the door. She looked in both directions cautiously before entering the room, shutting the door behind her. She stumbled in the dark before lighting the small candle she had brought with her. She was in the king's office. Knowing she could get into serious trouble if caught, Malon quickly rummaged through the files on the desk.

"There's something fishy about this whole competition. I know that man is up to something," Malon mumbled as she filed through an organized pile of papers. She became very aware of the king's antics earlier in the competition. Feeling it was nothing, she went along with it. But the uneasy feeling that something was wrong never left her.

She decided to find out who and what the competition was really for.

Link seemed unaware of the events. The other competitors did not seem to catch on either. However, Malon was always the type of person to take notice to every little detail. "I cannot shake this feeling that this competition was somewhat planned. I don't know if Link is aware of this but this competition concerns him; I've got to figure out what the king is planning."

That was when she came across a small notebook labeled: My diary! Keep out!

Malon grinned, "looks like I've found the king's diary. This should be interesting."

The curious girl opened the diary and flipped through the pages. Most of the entries were about his day and what he had accomplished within that time period. There was nothing about the competition. Before closing the book, she saw a page that was marked out. She squinted, trying to read the entry. Reading the words slowly to herself, she briefly paused between each new sentence. She instantly slammed the book shut. "I don't believe him! So that's what this whole thing is about…"

As if on cue, the door knob began to turn. Someone was coming. Malon quickly blew out the candle and hid under the desk. She drew her legs to her chest and began praying to the three goddesses that she would not be discovered. She listened to the footsteps grow closer to her. Then they stopped.

"I almost forgot this," the king said to himself, grabbing a book from the desk. Before leaving the room he noticed his desk. He stared at it for a quick moment, narrowing his eyes. "Why are these papers in disarray?" he questioned, picking them up and filing them back as he hummed a catchy tune to himself. "I must have been in a rush earlier. I could have sworn I cleaned my desk today."

He kicked his feet gleefully and headed toward the door. Malon relaxed her body. She felt something tickle her foot. Malon looked down and gasped loudly as a small mouse explored her foot. The king, looking back at his desk, stopped at the door. "What was that noise?"

Malon shook the mouse off her foot and shut her eyes forcefully. _"Please don't find me. Please don't find me!"_

The mouse traveled from under the desk toward the corner of the room. The king smiled lopsidedly. "Oh, it's just a mouse. I was worried there for a moment."

He laughed and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Malon waited a moment before leaving her hiding place. She tip-toed to the door and immediately left the office. She ventured down the long corridor back to her chambers but stopped before entering her room. She looked toward the shadowy corner; she felt like she was being watched. Seeing no one, she shrugged and entered her room.

Link stepped out of the corner with a puzzled look on his face. "What was she doing in his office?"

* * *

"Good morning," the king chimed. He rested his hands on his hips as he bobbed his head from side to side. He was in a good mood. Link was sleeping inside the carriage behind him. Apparently, he was awake all night. The ladies and Darunia waited in the grassy field in front of the castle. Nabooru rested her head on her elbow as she swatted away small bugs with her hand. Malon, Zelda, Saria, and the remaining village girl sat together awaiting the king's instructions. Darunia and Impa stood by the castle gates away from the group. Ruto sat peacefully under a shady tree, picking petals off a flower and muttering repetitively, "Link loves me. He doesn't love me."

The king cleared his throat, "are you ready to see who will be riding with Link today?" A few moans of boredom rang. The king smiled. "That's the spirit!"

He nodded to his henchmen to proceed. They pulled out black blindfolds from their pockets. Everyone looked confused. The king's servants tied the blindfolds on the group tightly, making sure they could not see anything. He grinned. "Now what you will have to do it climb up that hill over there. Do you see it?"

"How can we see if we have blindfolds on?" asked Nabooru, obviously annoyed with the king already.

The king made his trademark laugh. "Good question. Well anyway, the first person who climbs up that hill and grabs the flag will ride with Link. The losers will have the privilege of riding in the Loser Mobile," he paused. "But there's a catch to this challenge. It's not as easy as it sounds."

The group sighed. They knew it the king had to make everything more difficult than it already was.

"You'll be spun around for five minutes then released to climb up the hill. Sounds like fun, eh?"

"No," Impa replied dryly.

"Men, start spinning!"

After five nightmarish minutes of being spun around, the servants pushed the girls and Darunia toward the hill. Ruto groaned walking toward the man who had spun her around. The servant backed up. "Princess Ruto, you're going the wrong way," he tried to push her in the correct direction.

"I don't feel so well…"

Then it happened--the poor servant was covered in Ruto's _specialty_. The king laughed, watching the servant run away in disgust. "Looks like someone needs to take a shower."

Ruto swayed back and forth before passing out on the ground. Darunia, on the other hand, was not doing any better than Ruto. He walked into a tree and then into the front gates. He continued to wander around aimlessly until his foot met with a stubborn rock, causing the giant Goron to come crashing down. Unfortunately for Nabooru, she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. "AH! Get off me! You're as heavy as a boulder!" However, Darunia was too dazed to respond or move.

Impa sat down and crossed her arms. "This is childish. I'm not participating in this."

"Well, have fun riding in the Loser Mobile," the king taunted.

Impa remained silent for a moment before moving toward the hill, or what she thought was the hill. The king grinned smugly. He couldn't help but be amused by the group, walking around like a blind cucco. The servant tapped the king's shoulder. "Sir, should we tell Princess Zelda she's walking the opposite direction?"

"No, she'll figure it out eventually," replied the king casually.

"But Your Majesty, she is about to walk into the moat," the servant pointing in the direction of the princess, her arms slightly held out in front of her.

"She'll be fine. Don't worry about her."

Splash!

"Dear, you went the wrong way," the king called out, laughing at her misfortune. Of course he would tell her she went in the wrong direction _after_ she fell into the moat. The servant shook his head, sighing.

"AGH!" cried Zelda, throwing off her blindfold to see where she had landed. The servants rushed to her aid, pulling the soaking princess out of the moat.

"We must spin you around again," one of the servants said.

"No, that will be quite unnecessary, thank --"

Before she could finish her sentence, the three servants began spinning her around again. Losing her balance, Zelda went tumbling back into the moat. At this moment, the quiet village girl, who had taken the same path as Zelda, walked right passed the servants. However, they did not bother stopping her from walking into the moat nor did they help her out either.

Malon and Saria took another strategy. Instead of walking, the two girls crawled up the hill. Successful in making it to the top, they needed to find the flag. Malon patted the ground carefully until her hand met with a sharp rock, cutting it slightly. She pulled her hand back in pain, sucking on her finger where she was cut.

"I found the flag!" shouted an excited Saria.

"No dear, that's just a leaf," the king replied.

"Oh," Saria frowned, tossing the leaf back on the ground.

At this time, Impa had made her way up the hill, with very little problems. She knelt down and felt the ground for the flag. She sighed, picking up her new discovery. "I found it."

The king clapped. "We have a winner! Impa, you are on a roll!"

She snorted and took off her blind fold. Making her way down the hill she threw the blindfold at the king and entered the carriage. The king raised an eyebrow as he watched the other contestants fumble around in exhaustion. "You can't be tired now! We have the next round to play!"

Nabooru rubbed her back in pain, glaring at the Goron who followed behind. The rest of the group slowly trotted toward the king with their heads hung low. They knew what the loser had to endure--ride in the horrendous carriage dubbed the Loser Mobile 4000. They were definitely not looking forward to the _joy ride_.

As Link's carriage left the area, the king headed to his. "I'll see you there, losers!" he laughed, sticking his tongue out.

"Nayru! He acts like a freaking five year old!" Ruto wanted to pull out her nonexistent hair from all the frustration.

Malon looked at their carriage. "Who's going to get in it first?"

Silence.

She sighed. "I guess I will then…"

As each of the girls climbed into the carriage, and Darunia on top, unwillingly, one of the servants came running toward them. "Princess Zelda! I brought you a towel to dry yourself."

"Thank you," she replied gratefully. She turned to enter the carriage but noticed the timid village girl who was also drenched in water. Zelda faced to the servant. "Where is her towel?"

The servant's eyes wandered slowly onto the girl. He looked at her in disgust. "There were no other towels. That was the last one," he replied slowly before heading back to the castle.

The girl lowered her head before getting into the carriage. Zelda held out the towel in front of the girl. "Here, dry yourself. You'll catch a cold if you don't."

The girl stared at the towel with her mouth opened to some extent. "A-Are you sure?"

Zelda nodded.

The girl slowly grabbed the towel from Zelda and bowed her head considerably. "T-Thank you, Princess."

* * *

Impa crossed her legs and stared out the window. She didn't care that she was riding with Link. Anything was better than riding in that _other_ carriage. However, at that moment, she wished she _was_ riding in the other carriage. She looked a Link, snoring louder than any man she had ever heard in her life.

"How can _he_ even sleep with that noise?" she asked herself in minor confusion.

She reached over to the snoring hero and pinched his nose shut. He stopped. She smiled, satisfied that she had successfully shut him up. Then he opened his mouth and began snoring louder than before. Impa's eye twitched.

The Sheikah grabbed Link by his collar and slapped him lightly. "Wake up."

Link jolted from his seat at the sight of Impa. Any woman with larger muscles than a man was intimidating, even to someone who had saved an entire land from evil. Link rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Where am I?"

"We're going to the next arena," she replied dryly.

"You won the free ride with me?"

"Why else would I be here?"

"…."

* * *

The king tapped his foot impatiently. He hated waiting for other people. It was okay for them to wait on him, however, because he was the king. And as the king, he was allowed to do anything he desired. He held his hand above his eyes to shield them from the sun. Looking into the distance, he could see the two carriages pulling up. He grinned. It was time for the fun to begin.

The group gathered in front of him. He pointed to the small pipe behind him. Everyone looked at each other's face. The king enjoyed their lost expressions. "Behind me you see an old pipe. Inside this pipe I have a small obstacle set up. You'll have to find your way out to the other side. However, there are many turns inside that lead to dead ends. You'll have no light thus you must rely on your sense of feeling to move around."

"How can anyone fit in there? It's small! Only a child could navigate through that! Ruto exclaimed in rage.

"I forgot to mention. It's timed. The one who can make it out the fastest wins."

Impa studied the pipe. "Isn't this the abandoned pipe that was said to be infected with fatal Hylian Spiders? They had to close it off because many people were bitten and killed. Don't you think this is too dangerous? What if one of us gets bitten?"

The king rolled his eyes. "You worry too much."

Impa clenched her fists tightly. "You would put our lives in danger for entertainment?"

"Gee, when did you finally realize that?" Nabooru replied sarcastically.

"Do you not think I put everything into consideration? I have a medic with me who will tend to anyone bitten by the deadly spider," he answered coolly.

"A medic is not enough to save one's life from this spider. There is no cure for the poison," Impa retorted.

"Impa, do not argue with me. I happen to be in a good mood and I don't need a _Sheikah_ telling me what to do. You forget you're the last of your kind. Know your _place_," the king said cruelly. "Enough talk. I don't want to hear another complaint. Impa, why don't you go first?"

"Gladly," she hissed, crawling into the dark hole.

Impa made quick work through the pipe and came out on the other end in under five minutes. The king clapped at her record only to receive a cold glare from the warrior. The king scoffed. "Next will be my darling daughter, Zelda." The beautiful princess also made quick work only having slight difficulties near the end. She crawled out of the other end, covered in muck. The king patted her on the back, telling her she wasn't fast enough.

The other contestants went by fairly fast. Nabooru had no difficulties with toppling Impa's record; she was accustomed to sneaking around in the dark and in confined spaces. After all, she was a thief. Ruto found trouble near the end but manage to make it out in one piece. Saria, small and quick, took the number one position from Nabooru. Darunia had difficulty trying to get into the pipe, but with _assistance_ from the king, he managed to be pushed into the small pipeline. When he arrived at the end, the two servants pulled him out, almost breaking the pipe in the process.

Two contestants were left. Malon positioned herself at the pipe's entrance. She looked up, catching the king's glare. She sighed. _"He must be angry about yesterday…"_

Pushing the thought from her mind, she entered the pipe and crawled through it cautiously but hastily. She came out only ranking third out of all the other contestants. The village girl was last. She started off well but after ten minutes of waiting at the finish line, she didn't come out.

"Well, it looks like she didn't beat anyone's time. Saria is our champion!" the king replied before heading back to his carriage. He looked down noticing someone coming out. It was the girl. "Oh ho! You've just made your way back to the entrance."

The girl frowned. It seems she had took a wrong turn and became stuck at a dead end. As she was turning back around she ended up going back to the entrance. The king helped her out. "It seems you've lost. The servants will take you home now. It looks like you'll be working on the streets again in those audacious rags you call clothes."

The servants took the crying girl away. The king waved goodbye. "Now, let's all go home and have a feast!"

As they were walking back to their rides, Link noticed something in Malon's hair. His eyes widened as he came to realize what it was. "Malon! Don't move!" he called out.

She stopped, turning to Link in concern. "What's wrong?"

Ruto, who was walking closely next to Link, took notice. "There's a spider--"

Link covered her mouth. He didn't want Malon to panic. If she was unaware of what was occurring she would stay calm. However, she now knew what was crawling in her hair. She began to breathe harder and harder, trying not to cry. She bit her lower lip and shut her eyes. "Link…!"

"Don't worry, Mal. I won't let it bite you," he cooed. He warily moved his gloved hand toward the spider and swatted it out from her hair.

"Thank you Link!" Malon turned around to hug Link but stopped when she noticed his expression. "Link?"

Link stared at his hand, his eyes still filled with fear. A drop of blood oozed from the new wound. He had been bitten by the spider. He held his head from the sudden pain, dropping to his knees.

"He's been bitten!" Zelda cried out, rushing to his side. "We need to get him back to the castle! Just hang on!"

Link looked up. Everything was moving in slow motion. It was an effect from the poison. He could see Malon moving closer to him. He could see the pain on her face. And he could do nothing about it. He tried to reach out to Malon, but he found himself paralyzed. Everything then became dark.

**Notes: **Reviews are greatly appreciated. I'd like to hear your thoughts and/or suggestions about the story. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Now press the button below and review!


	19. Chapter Nineteen

There was an apprehensive aura within the castle. The silence was so thick one could cut it with a knife. Doctors and nurses scurried throughout the castle the remaining hours of the day. Once they completed their duties, they left, leaving everyone in intense thought. The doctors had claimed there was nothing they could do for the fallen hero. The only thing anyone could do for Link was to wait. Thankfully, Link had not taken in a lot of poison; however, it was still enough to prove fatal.

The king had vanished shortly after they arrived at the castle. There was nothing but silence in his room, and no one dared to intrude on him. Impa had also disappeared without a single word shortly after the doctors took leave. Princess Zelda disregarded Impa's odd behavior and continued caring for Link. Darunia had escaped to his room for the evening, wishing to be alone.

Ruto paced back and forth within Link's chambers, mumbling curses to herself. Everyone seemed to be weighing the burden on their shoulders. Nabooru rested against the wall with her arms across her chest. Her eyes were glued to the floor, and it seemed she only blinked when her eyes demanded it. Zelda sat in a chair near the corner of the room, one of her arms draped over the other one.

But no one felt as guilty as Malon had. She sat on the cold floor next to his bedside. Her head rested on the edge of the bed near Link's head. Every now and then Link would shift uncomfortably in his sleep. He was doing everything in his power to fight the poison.

"I can't take this anymore," Ruto suddenly killed the silence. "How can those doctors say there's nothing we can do? There must be something, anything to help him!"

"You could start by lowering your voice. The doctors did say he could hear somewhat," Nabooru shifted the weight from one leg to the other. "I wish there was something we could do. It's up to Link if he wants to survive."

Ruto didn't want to believe what the Spirit Sage had told her. The Zora princess faced Link. She had tried everything within that hour. She had danced around his bed and performed an ancient Zora ritual. She had fed him her homemade antidote even though she was met with everyone's protests. It seemed that her cure only made things worse. She even sung to him, and to everyone's surprise, her voice wasn't that bad. But nothing seemed to work.

"I think I'm going to take a nap. I'm still exhausted from today," Ruto slowly walked to the door. "If something changes, please come and tell me."

Zelda and Nabooru nodded, feeling it would be best if Ruto left Link alone for the time being. As long as she was gone, she wouldn't attempt another bizarre cure for him. Nabooru pushed herself off the wall. "Say, you look like you're about to pass out any moment. Maybe you should get some rest, Princess Zelda."

Zelda stood up, shaking her head. "No, I'm quite well. But I have business to take up with my father. I'll return shortly."

Nabooru shrugged, watching the princess leave in a hurry. The Gerudo thief turned her attention to the red-haired girl sitting on the floor. A half-smile appeared on her face. "You're determined to stay by his side all day," she paused, seeing the girl did not take her eyes off Link. "Listen, I know you must be blaming yourself for what happened. It's not your fault."

Malon shook her head. "No, if I weren't so careless than this wouldn't have happened. He was only trying to help me. If anyone should be in this bed then it should be me."

Nabooru rested her hand on Malon's small shoulder. "Take it easy on yourself. You know very well Link would rather be in that bed than you. That's just the way he is," she sighed. "Listen, if you don't need me here anymore then I'm going to take a walk. I need some fresh air," before leaving the room Nabooru looked at Malon once again. "Don't overdo it. If you get tired, get some rest. He's not going anywhere."

Malon nodded. How could she leave his side? It was her fault he was in the position he was in. Malon moved her hand through his unruly hair. Why couldn't she take care of herself? Why was she always in debt to him? Malon grabbed a damp hand towel and wiped away the sweat beads forming on his brow. "Link, you have to wake up soon. There's so much I need to tell you."

He shifted somewhat. Maybe he heard her?

Malon slid her hand down his arm, cupping his hand with hers. She buried her head in the sheets. "Link, if you can hear me, there's something important you should know," she paused, looking for any signs that he heard her. "I snuck into the king's office last night. I know that if someone finds out I'll get into serious trouble, but I couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong. I don't know if you caught on or not, but this competition is not about you. It's about--"

There was a light knock on the door. Malon bit her bottom lip, turning around quickly to see who it was. Saria walked in holding a bowl of water. "I hope I didn't startle you. The nurses told me to bring a fresh bowl of water. Are you okay? You look really pale?"

Malon turned away. "I'm fine."

Saria frowned, placing the bowl of warm water on the nightstand. She clapped her hands together, tilting her head to the left. "That should do it," she faced Malon. "Would you like me to keep watch while you get some rest? You look awfully tired."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll be okay."

Saria sighed dejectedly. Malon seemed intent on staying by Link's side until he awoke. She turned back toward the door, leaving Malon to her thoughts. "If you need anything, just call," said Saria before closing the door. Once the door was completely shut, Saria rested her back against it. "I wish she would stop blaming herself for what happened to Link. She's only making things harder for herself."

"Are you talking about Malon?"

Saria eyes moved upward until they met a pair of cerulean orbs. Saria nodded slowly. "I wish I could help her, but I think her conscience would rest easier if she knew he was all right."

Zelda nodded instinctively, placing her hand on Saria's shoulder. "I need you to stay here and watch over Link. I wish to speak with Malon privately," before Saria could answer, Zelda had already entered Link's room. "Malon, would you like to take a walk with me?" asked Zelda politely.

The ranch girl was somewhat taken aback. She felt uneasy with leaving Link's bedside but she knew it was unhealthy to lock herself away from the world and try to solve her problems alone. Maybe the princess saw this too? Standing up slowly, Malon nodded with an perturbed expression written across her face. "All right."

* * *

The two women walked silently toward the courtyard. Once they arrived, Malon was in awe at the beautiful flowers that were planted around the yard. "You seem exhausted. I thought you might like some fresh air," Zelda said sincerely, walking over to the window leading to the throne room. "Hmm… My father is no longer there."

"Did you speak to your father?" asked Malon, looking up from the garden.

"Unfortunately, he wouldn't even let me in to speak with him," she paused. "I fear for my father if Link does not wake up. He is very close with Link, and he sees him as the son he never had. My father would love for Link to become the next king of Hyrule, but Link has declined his offer many times. But I have faith in the goddesses that he will wake up."

Malon turned away, looking down at the flowers. Everything seemed to be adding up perfectly. She nodded. "I think he will, too."

Zelda abandoned her spot near the window and walked toward the red-headed girl. "You and Link seem very close. How long have the two of you known each other?"

"Link and I have known each other since we were kids. He told me I was the first person he met when he left Kokiri forest," Malon said proudly. "We used to play together at the ranch all the time when he wasn't busy. But now we hardly see each other."

"Link seems to be quite fond of you. He doesn't have to say anything; I can tell by the way he looks at you," she turned, giggling. "Have the two of you been romantically involved?"

"N-no! He and I are just good friends, that's all!" Malon stuttered, obviously flustered by the question. "What about you and Link? There's always gossip in the market about the two of you."

"No, that would never happen," she replied sadly.

"Princess Zelda! Zelda!" Saria came running into the courtyard, she bent over placing her hands on her knees. Catching her breath she spoke up. "Your father… He's in Link's room… You've got to make him stop."

Without any delay, Zelda and Malon quickly ran back to Link's room.

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up, Link! This isn't funny anymore!" the king yelled, furiously shaking the unconscious boy. Nabooru and Ruto were trying to pull heavy man away Link, but the king shook the two girls off quite easily. "You two stay back! I'll wake him up!"

"Have you gone mad? You're going to make him worse!" Ruto scrambled back to her feet and tried to pull the king off. "Leave him alone!"

"Father! Have you lost your mind?" Zelda ran into the room. "You must release him at this moment!"

"Zelda, be a good girl and get your father some cold water. I have an idea."

"Father!" Zelda rushed to her father's side, grabbing his arm as she tried to pull it off from Link. "Father, please stop this madness! You cannot help him this way!"

The king suddenly stopped, releasing his grip from the boy's shoulders. "Oh Nayru! He's dead…"

Time seemed to have stopped.

"W-what?" Ruto stopped, looking down at Link's seemingly lifeless body. She shook her head in disbelief. "No, this can't be true! He just can't be dead!"

Malon bit her lower lip, trying to fight back the tears. _"No, he can't be! I just won't believe it… He can't die like this! He just can't!"_

Zelda covered her face with her hands. "No, this cannot be true…"

The king looked at the three girls and began to laugh. "Hah! Hah! Just kidding! You should have seen the look on your faces!"

All three girls looked up angrily. "How could you attempt to joke at a time like this? You're such a heartless pig!" yelled Ruto, raising her fists at the king.

"Can't you take a joke? I was trying to lighten the mood in this room--"

SMASH!

A pot shattered over the king's head, forcing the man to tumble gracelessly to the floor. Nabooru stood behind where the king once stood, wiping her hands off. "Sorry, he was getting on my nerves."

"Thank you for shutting that buffoon up," Ruto crossed her arms over her chest. "Although, I think you went a little extreme. But that's okay, he deserves it."

Zelda rushed to her father's side. "Father? Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

"So who's going to take him to his room?" Nabooru asked. Everyone looked around at each other. "Well, it's obviously not going to be me. I did my part."

"Not me! No way am I touching that man!" Ruto exclaimed.

Malon and Zelda looked at each other. "I can't carry him," said Zelda quietly.

"Maybe we can roll him to his room?" added Malon.

"Or maybe we could just stuff him into Link's closet? He'll be okay until he wakes up," Nabooru opened the closet door. "Besides, I think the closest is kind of fitting for him."

"My father does not deserve being stuffed into a closest!" Zelda protested.

"Would you like me to recount everything he made us do?" Nabooru walked over to the king, rolling him toward the closet. "Don't worry so much, Princess. We can't let the servants see what we've done. We'll look awfully suspicious if we roll his lifeless body down the hallway," Nabooru grinned. "You don't want people thinking the king was brutally attacked by his precious daughter, do you?"

Zelda sighed, but before she could answer, Malon, Ruto and Nabooru were already shoving the king into the closet. It took the three of them to shut the closet door. Zelda's eyes widened. "I cannot believe you just did that! That's my father!"

"Don't worry, he's not going anywhere."

At that moment the door flew opened revealing a rather fatigued Sheikah. She gazed intently around the room until her eyes fell on Link. "There's not much time left," she mumbled as she walked closer to his bed.

"Impa! Thank Nayru! Where have you been?" asked Zelda.

The older woman pulled out a small Dodongo-skinned bag. "There was a mysterious herb used by the Sheikah tribe long ago that was said to cure any type of illness. When my people vanished, the whereabouts of this herb were lost. However, I knew that if Link were to survive, I would have to find this herb," said Impa, pulling out the already prepared antidote.

"Where did you find that? Is that where you disappeared to? Nabooru asked curiously but received no answer.

Impa lifted Link's head and poured the antidote into his mouth. She waited a moment before standing. "He'll be fine now. He just needs to rest."

"How do you know it'll work?" asked Nabooru.

"It will. You four should get some rest, too. We'll check on him in the morning," Impa said solemnly and left the room.

They reluctantly agreed, following behind Impa. Malon stood at the doorway, looking back toward Link. "Good night, Link," she whispered before leaving the resting hero behind.

* * *

Link shifted in his sleep, rolling over to his side. His eyes opened suddenly. Sitting up, he looked at his hand. "I thought I was a goner for sure. Someone must have gave me something to neutralize the poison," he said quietly to himself. He became more and more aware of where he was--his room. He sighed. "I hope everyone is okay."

Link's thoughts were thrown into disarray as he heard strange noises from his closet. He turned his attention toward the closet. "What's that noise? It sounds like some sort of monster."

Without much thought, Link grabbed the Master Sword and slowly approached the closet. He cautiously turned the knob and opened the door. "What the--AHHH!" the king came falling down on top of the Hero of Time.

"Link? Is that you?"

"Ugh…! What the hell are you doing in my closet! Get off me! I can't breathe!" Link struggled to get the heavier man off of him, but failed.

"Oh Link! I was so worried about you! I was afraid you were going to die! I'll never let anything bad happen to you again!" the king sat up and pulled Link into a rather large embrace.

"How did you get in my closet?" Link pushed himself out of the king's embrace.

The king brought a finger to his chin. "Come to think of it, I can't remember. The last thing I remember is the girls being angry at me for some odd reason."

Link snorted. _"The girls must have tossed him in there. I guess they finally got tired of him."_

"But the important thing is that you're okay! We should celebrate!" the king stood up, throwing his hands in the air. "How does that sound, my boy?"

"No thank you. I just want to rest now," Link said climbing into bed. "You can leave now, you know."

The king frowned. "I have to make sure no more spiders come and bite you. I'll fight them off with your Master Sword. I used to be quite the swordsman when I was your age," he laughed, picking up Link's sword. "I'll show you some moves. You might want to take notes."

"Um, maybe we can wait. I'm tired and this isn't the best place to practice…"

But the king didn't hear him. He swung the sword madly around the room, chopping and cutting everything in sight. Link hid under the pillow to avoid the king's mad swings. "Why can't I get any peace?"

* * *

Nabooru shot up into a sitting position. She pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead. "I forgot something," she paused for a moment. "Oh Din! I left the king in Link's closet!"

**Notes: **Sorry it took so long to update. I've been pretty busy. Thanks for all the feedback. I'll try to update again soon.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Morning came quicker than everyone had expected. The previous day had left the group completely exhausted. Rest was something none of them received that night. But they quickly pushed aside their discomfort and stumbled out of bed. There were more important things to worry about than sleep. The group quietly made their way down the corridors of the castle and to their friend's room. Pushing open the door, Darunia peeked in.

"Well, is he awake?" Ruto asked impatiently.

Darunia poked his head in a little further. "I can't tell. He might still be asleep."

"If he isn't awake now then something could be wrong," Ruto exclaimed in a panic. She pushed Darunia aside and entered Link's room. She walked over to his bedside and pull the sheets from over the huge lump. She screamed and jumped back.

"Why is the king sleeping in Link's bed?" asked Saria, completely astounded by their new discovery.

"You don't think he ate Link, do you? He looks fatter than usual," added an amused Nabooru. All eyes turned in her direction. "I was just joking!" she said defensively, crossing her arms and turning away.

"How did he escape from the closet?" Ruto suddenly asked. "You don't think Link let him out and then he gobbled him down because he was angry?"

"I was just joking about the eating thing!" Nabooru sighed.

"My father is not a cannibal," Zelda narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure Link is around here somewhere. He could not have just disappeared."

"Yes, maybe he just went out for a walk or something," commented Malon. She was hoping Link would be sleeping soundly in his bed and everything would return to being normal again, or at least as normal as it could be. She turned toward the door. "Maybe we should look for him."

"I still think the king ate him," Ruto said stubbornly.

"For Din's sake, I was just joking!" Nabooru cried out in frustration.

"I think Malon's right. We should go look for him," Zelda added.

"Or we can just leave him alone. He might have left because he doesn't want to be bothered," Impa crossed the room and headed out the door. "You forget that Saria won a date with Link. Link will be busy all day. So let him have his time now to relax."

"I completely forgot about that," Malon said sadly.

Suddenly the group heard muffled noises from where the king rested. Ruto approached the bed closer. "I think those sounds are coming from the king."

"It sounds like they're coming from his stomach," Zelda paused. "Oh my Din!"

"He really did eat Link!" Saria said with sudden realization.

"Mmmelp!" the muffled voice cried out.

The king shifted in his sleep, revealing an arm when he moved. The group looked at each other in confusion. Suddenly it dawned on them when another muffled cry was heard. Darunia pushed the king off the body he unknowingly slept on. The figure crawled off the bed, gasping for air.

"Link!" Ruto rushed to his side. "Are you okay?"

Nabooru couldn't help but burst into laughter. The king had fallen asleep on Link. "I'm sorry but that's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time."

Link rolled his eyes, still trying to bring air into his lungs. "Yeah, you say that because he wasn't sleeping on you," he paused, pulling himself off the ground. "That was quite possibly the most painful thing in the world." The room became deathly quiet. Everyone remembered what had happened the previous day. Link looked around at everyone's faces. "I'm okay everyone. You don't have to worry about me now."

"We still can't forgive ourselves for what happened to you," Darunia added. "I should have been the one to remove that spider from your girl's hair. If the spider tried to bite me, it's fangs wouldn't have been able to penetrate my rough skin."

There was a brief pause in the room.

"His girl? His girl?" Ruto added, shocked and upset at Darunia's comment. "Why are you calling her _his girl_?"

Link decided to ignore Ruto. "Darunia, it's all right now. Don't worry about it."

"_His girl_?"

Malon lowered her eyes, half embarrassed by Ruto's outburst and half upset that Link did nothing to defend her. _"Could he be angry at me? He hasn't even looked at me since he woke up. I'm getting too upset over nothing. It's not like he and I are dating."_

"Enough Ruto," Zelda said solemnly before turning her attention to Link. "We are all glad that you are well. We were very worried yesterday. Thankfully, Impa had an antidote that could neutralize the poison. You should thank her when you get the chance."

He nodded. "I'm sorry I made everyone worry, but it's in the past now. Let's not worry about it anymore."

The king rolled over again making another loud noise. His eyes fluttered opened. Everyone slowly backed away from the bed. The king sat up and stretched like a cat. "Good morning everyone," he said cheerfully. "I haven't slept that well in a long time."

"At least one of us slept last night," grumbled Link.

"Why were you sleeping in Link's bed?" asked Ruto with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

The king brought his finger to his chin. "You know, I can't answer that. I don't know why I was in his bed."

Everyone looked at Link who crossed his arms over his chest. "He knocked himself out with the Master Sword last night and ended up falling on my bed. I didn't think there would be any harm in leaving him there."

"How come he was able to hold the Master Sword? I thought only special people could wield it," Ruto thought aloud.

Nabooru snorted. "That's because he is _special_."

Zelda shot a glare at the two laughing girls. "Father, I am glad you are well, too."

The king laughed and ruffled his daughter's hair. "I came up with a great idea last night. Since today Saria gets to go on a date with Link, I thought that the ladies and I could enjoy ourselves."

Darunia cleared his throat.

"Oh. And Goron."

Link sighed. "I'm not really in the mood to go on a _date_. I just want to relax today."

The king smiled. "I thought you would say that! That's why I planned for you and Saria to have a milk party!"

Link's eyes widened. "Oh c'mon! That's for little kids!"

The king patted Link's back. "No it's not. I have milk parties all the time with my teddy bear, Carlito. Not only can you relax, my boy, but you can chat with your friend and catch up on old times."

"That's a great idea!" Saria chimed.

Nabooru rolled her eyes. "I don't believe it. He came up with an idea that wasn't bizarre. This one actually makes sense."

"And it was a pretty good idea," Ruto paused. "I think it's the end of the world."

"What about the rest of us?" Zelda asked. "You said you had something planned for us as well."

The king turned around smiling. "We're going on a field trip!"

* * *

The girls and Darunia stood outside the castle gates impatiently awaiting the king's arrival. Nabooru tapped her foot and let her back rest against the stone pillar. "You just had to ask, didn't you?" 

Zelda sighed. "I never thought my father would take us on a trip to the Lost Woods. That was the last thing I was expecting him to say."

"And the bad thing about it is, Saria's not coming with us. Neither is Impa," Malon added, kicking rocks with her boots. "I don't think the king has ever been to the Lost Woods before. I'm sure we'll give a new meaning to the term _lost_."

"I heard if you get lost in the Lost Woods, you'll be turned into a Stalfos!" Ruto covered her face with her hands. "Why do things like this always have to happened to me?"

"I wonder why Impa decided not to come with us," Nabooru shifted slightly.

"She's probably still exhausted from yesterday. I think even the king understands and that was why he excused her," Darunia added. "The king seems to be in an understanding mood lately."

"Maybe that bump on the head knocked some sense into him," Malon said jokingly. "If it did, we should be thanking you Nabooru."

The Gerudo laughed. "Yes yes, well I think he's still crazy for making us go to the Lost Woods."

At that moment a beautiful carriage carved with the royal family's crest came strolling toward the group. The king popped his head out from the door and signaled for the group to get inside. Everyone paused. They were expecting their worn down carriage to come toward them any moment. But it didn't happened.

"Is everyone coming or not?" the king asked, laughing slightly at everyone's disbelief. "There's enough room for everyone, except Darunia of course. You can climb on top, old boy."

"You mean, we get to ride in that fancy thing there?" Ruto asked, still in complete shock.

The king nodded. "What did you expect?"

Malon turned to Nabooru. "Thank you! Thank you so much! You've returned his sanity!"

* * *

The king had a special room set up for Link and Saria. There was a small, child-like table with two wooden chairs on each side. It was obviously too small for Link, but he didn't complain. Saria quietly took sips of her milk. Link poured himself another glass. "I don't know if that was such a great idea." 

"Do you mean the field trip the king has planned?" she asked.

"Yeah, and the fact that he took my Master Sword with him," he said dryly. "The man doesn't have any experience with a sword. He'll probably end up killing someone on accident."

"Oh, don't say that," she paused. "He said he wanted to bring it for protection. There are still monsters in the Lost Woods. They seem to have gotten stronger over the years. He's only looking out for their safety."

"Yeah, weird that he's actually thinking about their safety now."

Saria took another sip of her milk without saying anything. She looked out the window. "I really don't like being here. It's not fun anymore."

Link tilted his head sideways. "Then why stay? You can go home anytime you want to."

"Well, I was asked to participate."

Link remembered his conversation with Darunia. There was something odd about the whole competition, and Link was the only one who was able to figure out what it was. Perhaps Saria had vital information that would help with Link's investigation. He propped his elbows on the table. "Why do you think he wanted you to participate?"

Saria shrugged. "Maybe he wanted to make things more interesting. I mean, he managed to convince all the Sages to participate, even Darunia!" she giggled. "I know that Mister Darunia does not want to win this competition. I know he's acting like he's interested."

"What do you know about the others? Why do you think they agreed?" Link asked again, hoping Saria could answer all his questions.

"Um," she thought for a moment, "I know that Impa doesn't like you that way so I think she decided to participate because the king asked her to. Nabooru told me the king asked her to partake in the competition several times, but she declined. After a few more times, she finally gave in, she said. She told me she didn't like his idea and thought it would be a failure. She mentioned she didn't like being used."

"Used? What did she mean by that?"

Saria shrugged. "I didn't bother to ask anymore," she frowned. "I hope I didn't make you upset."

Link shook his head. "No, no. I think I might have a talk with Nabooru later if I get the chance."

"So, who do you think will win the competition. There are only a few girls who are actually really serious about it, you know," she giggled. "I don't know, I really like Miss Malon but I don't think she'll be able to win. Zelda is doing very well, I think she'll win."

Link lowered his head. "How come you don't think Malon can win?"

"Well, she seems like she has something bothering her. I think that distracts her a lot. And I think because she's at a disadvantage because she's running against Sages. But I'm surprised she made it this far, so she might surprise us all," Saria poured herself another glass of milk. "She's really sweet. She and I talk a lot."

Link eyed is childhood friend curiously. "What does she talk about?"

Saria giggled. "I can't tell you! It's a secret!"

"Please? I promise I won't repeat it to her," he pouted.

Saria shook her head. "I promised not to say anything, and I plan on keeping my word," Saria paused. "I think you like her."

"Here we go again," he laughed. "What makes you think that?"

"Because you keep asking me what she said. I think you want to know if she likes you or not."

"Does she?"

"I can't tell you, silly boy!"

Link sighed. "I feel so awkward around her now. Everything is so strange and new to me. I just don't know if I could make her dreams come true. I don't know anymore. I thought about a lot of things last night."

"Ahah! I knew you liked her. I think you should tell her how you feel," Saria smiled cheerfully.

"I can't. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell her. This whole competition is making things more complicated, you see."

Saria nodded understandingly. "Well, you never know, she might win and then you could marry her!"

"But, I don't won't to get married right now," he sighed again, taking a large gulp of milk and slamming it down on the table. "Things are getting too weird. I just hope they'll be okay with the king. That man needs some serious help."

* * *

The Kokiri children looked at the strange group walking toward the Lost Woods. None of the children said a word, they just stared in utter amusement. The king walked with a small skip in his step. He seemed cheerful--almost too cheerful. It was hard predicting what ran through his mind. They stood at the entrance to the Lost Woods. "Here we are! Back in the day, many brave men stepped foot in there for no reason at all! Only the smartest and bravest men came out alive, and I was one of them!" 

Nabooru snorted. "Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

The king narrowed his eyes. "Why don't you ever take me seriously?"

"Because you act like a complete idiot sometimes. How are we supposed to know when you're being serious or not?" she added, still laughing at his speech.

The king rubbed his forehead. "I thought it would be nice to get out of the castle and explore other regions of Hyrule. If you're worried about getting lost, you can cast away your doubt. I know my way around here. Is everyone ready?"

No one moved.

"All right! Let's go."

They reluctantly followed the over-confident king into the Lost Woods. He placed his hands on his hips, looking around at the woods. He took in a deep breath. "Ah, it's very relaxing here. Don't you agree?"

"It would be all right, if I weren't worried we would get lost," Ruto mumbled.

They continued walking. The girls kept very close together for protection. Darunia stayed near the back of the group so he could protect the girls if something surprised them from behind. They examined the peaceful environment the woods offered. It was a nice change from the bustling streets of Hyrule Market. However, after a while of staring at the trees and bushes, their trip became very boring very fast. There was nothing interesting in the woods. Nothing.

The king pointed at a nearby tree. "And here we see a tree."

"What about it?" grumbled Nabooru. "It's a tree. We see them all the time."

"Well, this one is very tall!"

"…"

"This is so boring! Can we please go back to the castle!" Ruto complained, rubbing her feet. "We've been walking around aimlessly for a while. Do you even know where you are going?"

"I think she's right," Zelda added. "I believe we passed through this part already. That tree looks familiar."

"Oh no. You don't think we're walking in circles, do you?" Nabooru slapped her forehead. "I knew I should have stayed at the castle."

"No, I know where I'm going! I'm just making you think we're lost," the king said stubbornly.

"Why, that's the stupidest thing I've heard all day. Congratulations! Darunia, tell him what he's won!" Nabooru replied sarcastically.

"He's won a new brain to replace the dead one in his head!" Darunia and Nabooru cracked up laughing. The king muttered a few words to himself and walked away.

Malon sighed loudly, taking a seat on a nearby stump. "I think we should take some time to relax and then find the exit. My feet are beginning to hurt."

Zelda sat behind to Malon and the two rested their backs against one another. "Yes, I think it would be wise to relax right now. It is very clear that we're lost. Walking around more would make things worse."

"We're not lost! I told you I'm just making you think that!" the king sighed dejectedly.

"Just admit it, you got us lost. You thought you knew your way around the woods," Nabooru kicked the dirt beneath her feet. "What are we going to do now?"

The king frowned, looking up toward the sky. "My father once told me, 'There comes a time in everyone's life when the moon grows a face and threatens to kill you within three days. You just have to look at that moon and ask, 'Would you like fries with that?''"

Silence.

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?" Nabooru shouted.

"I was just trying to offer good advice. Of course a Gerudo wouldn't understand anything intelligent. That's just the way you people are," the king shook his head, not surprised at all that Nabooru had questioned his _intelligence_. He laughed inside. What did she know anyway, right?

"This is stupid. Let's just get out of here!" Ruto stood up and walked toward one of the many pathways. Suddenly there was rustling in the bushes near her. She backed away slightly. "Uh, hey. There's something in those bushes over there."

The king unsheathed the Master Sword. "If something tries to attack us, I'll fight it off!"

Ruto hid behind Darunia. "You go and see what it is. You're big and strong!"

The Goron, grinning ear to ear, turned toward Ruto. "That's the first time you've ever complimented me. I think you're beginning to like me more."

"JUST GO AND SEE WHAT'S IN THOSE BUSHES!"

He sighed. "All right! All right!"

Darunia took in a large breath of air before cautiously approaching the bushes. The rustling stopped as soon as he came within a few inches from it. His beady black eyes narrowed. He slowly moved his large hand over the bushes. Nothing seemed to be there. "I think we're--"

Suddenly a small animal flew out from the bushes onto Darunia's face. "--AHHHHHH!"

He flailed his arms frantically, trying to remove the miniature creature from his face. He stumbled clumsily backwards, falling onto the ground with a loud thud. The king took this time to act, grabbing the hilt of the sword and rushing pass the girls toward the fallen Goron. He lifted the blade to strike the animal, but as nimble as it was, the animal leaped off the Fire Sage's face in the nick of time.

The Master Sword was then introduced to Darunia's face.

Darunia had never been so proud of his armor in his entire life until that moment. He screamed in agony, grabbing his face and screaming multiple curses. The king laughed nervously as he watched the creature scurry off into the woods. He sheathed the blade and mumbled a few words to himself. Turning his attention toward his pain-ridden friend, he couldn't help but watch as the Goron rolled around in the grass.

"Are you okay, Darunia?" Zelda was first to escape the shock of watching what had just occurred. She slowly approached the Goron with her hands extended. She wasn't sure how to help him. "Father, how could you be so careless? You could have killed him!"

"He's a rock. It hardly even left a mark on his face. He should be glad Link hasn't retouched his sword lately. The blade is somewhat dull," he voice trailed off as his attention did the same.

"How could you be so heartless! You could at least apologize for hurting him!" Ruto's sudden burst of concern surprised even the king himself. She shook her head in anger. "Never in my life have I seen someone as rude and selfish as you! Apologize to him!"

The king held up his hands defensively. "It seems my fellow king has raised quite a rude child."

Darunia slowly stood up with the help of Zelda. He shook his head in slight pain. "It's all right. It was an accident. I should have been more careful. Let's not argue anymore."

"Darunia…" Ruto muttered.

The king walked over to the bushes and began searching for items. "Well now that everything is settled, we have another problem. It's clear that there are monsters roaming around in these woods. We're going to need protection. I can't protect you all, unfortunately."

"You're doing an awful job at protecting us with those skills," Nabooru, crossing her arms across her chest, stung the king with another sarcastic remark.

The king chose to ignore her comments and continued his search. He gathered several items the woods offered him and walked back toward the group. "Since I have the Master Sword and Darunia has his Goron strength, I thought you females needed to be prepared just incase that monster comes back."

"It was a cute animal, not a monster," corrected Ruto.

The king handed Zelda a twig, Ruto a leaf, Nabooru a rock, and Malon a handful of dirt. He smiled proudly. "There. I have now equipped each of you with a weapon. Use it wisely."

"What good is a leaf going to do against a monster?" asked a rather confused and angered Ruto.

"That's for you to decide. Now are we all ready to find the exit?" he asked in his usual cheerful demeanor. The group let out another irritated sigh and reluctantly followed behind their so-called leader.

* * *

Link paced back and forth at the front gates. Saria sat on the ground and played with the few pebbles laying near her. She looked up at her worried friend. "I'm sure they'll be back any time now. Impa said they would return between six and midnight. I'm sure they're just having a lot of fun right now." 

"Saria, how could anyone have fun when they're with that deranged man? Something bad could have happened to them, and he has my sword! I want it back," a low growl emanated from his throat. "They could have gotten lost. How are they supposed to protect themselves?"

"Well, Darunia is with them. He wouldn't let anything happen to them. Don't worry. I'm sure in a few minutes they'll be coming back to the castle," Saria said optimistically. Link didn't want to hear it though. He was too busy fighting his thoughts. Should he leave the castle unarmed and search for them? He was in no shape to fight, especially without his sword.

Link returned to pacing back and forth nervously. _"I swear, if anything happens to them--if anything happens to Malon--"_

* * *

They followed their leader aimlessly for hours. He walked with such confidence, at first glance, one could not tell he was walking with no knowledge of where he was going. He began humming a tune to himself to ease the tension that was erupting behind him. Ruto followed closely behind him, bickering at him for being careless. Nabooru, minding her own business, tossed the rock that the king had gave her up and down in the air. Zelda and Malon kept close to Nabooru and Darunia, since the two of them were undoubtedly the best fighters next to Impa and Link. Suddenly, the king stopped in his tracks, causing a long chain of girls to crash into him. 

"Hey, why are you stopping?" asked Ruto. "You could at least give us a little warning next time."

He smiled, pointing at the path in front of them. "It's the exit! See, I told you I could find it!"

"Well, I'll be…" Malon stated in disbelief. "He actually did find the exit!"

The king merrily skipped toward the exit until he was stopped by a loud growling noise. He looked around nervously. Their journey had not been interrupted by any monsters up until that moment.

Ruto tilted her head slightly. "Why are you stopping again? I thought you said that was the exit."

He lifted his hand to quiet the girl. Ruto backed away and hid behind Darunia for the second time that day. If anything was going to happen, she definitely did not want to be around to see it. The king slowly approached the exit. The growling had stopped. Maybe he was just hearing things.

He turned around and faced the girls. "What are you girls waiting for? Let's get out of here." Their eyes widened and their faces turned pale. The king quirked his eyebrow in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"T-t-there's a monster behind you!" Malon stuttered, lifting a finger in the mentioned direction.

The king slowly turned around. A rather angry Wolfos stood in his path. The king quickly reached for the Master Sword but was ceased with a vicious slash across his bulky chest. He fell to the ground gracelessly, dropping the Master Sword along with him. Zelda cried out and moved to rush to her father's aid.

Nabooru pulled the princess back. "Stop! You're only going to get killed if you try to go to him."

"But!" her protests were stopped when the Wolfos' attention was drawn to the defenseless group.

Darunia pushed the girls behind him. "Stay back, this monster is nothing compared to what I've battled before," he said in a rather cocky manner.

The Goron was quick to begin the fight. He ran toward the Wolfos and threw the first punches. The nimble monster dodged both and raised its claws to strike its foe. Darunia lifted his arm for protection, shielding the sharp weapons from his already injured face. The Wolfos then lifted its other paw to strike, knocking the Goron to the ground. With a quick leap, the Wolfos jumped behind the girls and prepared for another assault.

The girls scampered away from each other quickly as the monster's claws came down onto them. Darunia quickly got to his feet and rammed his body into the Wolfos', pushing the beast into a rather large tree. Darunia raised his fists and began driving them into his foe. The monster wailed out in pain before changing the tide of the fight. It raised its claws and slashed at the tree behind it, causing the large plant to fall onto the Sage.

"Darunia!" Ruto cried out as she watched her friend lay in defeat. The princess has no experience in fighting, and Darunia was her only means of protection. She looked around nervously for anything to defend herself with. Nothing.

The monster licked its lips and slowly approached the Zora. Ruto gasped as she met its hungry eyes. She backed away quickly, accidentally tripping on an unnoticed log behind her. She fell to the ground in a heap. Without thinking, she began crawling away but her opponent had caught up to her. It grabbed her leg and pulled her off the ground. She cried out in fear. Was this how she was going to die?

She shut her eyes tightly expecting everything to end in a matter of moments. The next thing she felt was herself meeting the hard ground. Nabooru tossed the rock she had in her hands, which bounced off the monster. It didn't flinch but it did direct its attention toward the Gerudo.

_"Good,"_ she thought. _"I've been dying to have a good fight."_

Nabooru had fought without her trusted swords before. Gerudos were also trained for one-on-one combat as well as swordsmanship and archery. The Wolfos leapt toward her with a careless slash. She evaded its attack with a well-executed back hand sprang. The monster paused momentarily. She took this moment to strike, sending the monster flying back with a powerful kick to the head. The Wolfos pulled itself up from the ground, raising its claws to protect itself from Nabooru's on-coming attacks. She quickly jumped away from her opponent to catch her breath. The Wolfos wasted no time in executing its next attack. It quickly ran toward her, knocking her across the arena.

Nabooru quickly rolled away from the Wolfos' next brutal attack, and swiftly jumped to her feet like a cat. Now she was the one defending herself from her opponent's attacks. The gauntlets around her wrists doubled as protection. The Wolfos slashed away until it had Nabooru backed into a corner. She had to be quick with making decisions. In battle, there was no time to sit and think. The Wolfos drove its claws toward Nabooru, who quickly ducked under its attacked. The Wolfos anticipated this and quickly slapped Nabooru with its free paw with unexpected momentum, sending the Gerudo to the ground unconscious.

Two of Hyrule's strongest warriors were defeated by a mere Wolfos. Neither Zelda nor Ruto could comprehend how this was possible. It was very clear that the monster before them was stronger and smarter than it looked.

Zelda and Ruto both eyed the Master Sword. Obviously the two Sages had the same idea in mind. Apparently the Wolfos also knew what the two females were planning , and it quickly kicked the Master Sword further from their reach. Ruto darted toward Malon and Zelda while the Wolfos' back was turned. "Zelda, we need to think of something quick. Do you have anything in mind?"

"We need to get Malon away from here. It's our duty as Sages to protect the people," she paused. "I'll distract the Wolfos momentarily while you take her to the exit."

"Wait, I can help! I can't just leave you two alone with that monster!" Malon protested but quickly stopped as Ruto began pulling her toward the exit.

"Come on! It's too dangerous for you here," argued Ruto.

The Wolfos had ignored Zelda's attempts to distract it away from the two fleeing girls. The Wolfos planned on having no survivors once it was finished with the group. It rushed toward the girls with unquestionable speed, raising its claws again for another attack. Ruto quickly pushed Malon out of danger's way and took the blow, sending her crashing to the ground.

The Wolfos blocked the exit from any more attempts to escape. Malon stumbled backwards and quickly rushed to safety. Zelda was her only means of protection now.

"Malon!" Zelda rushed toward the red-headed girl's side.

There was no where to run.

The Wolfos attempted another vicious attack, but Zelda quickly projected a pink shield around the two girls. The Wolfos continued slashing at the shield, weakening it with each hit. Malon looked around frantically. _"There must be something I can do to help!"_

Not a second later, Malon's thoughts were disrupted when she heard Zelda's scream. The shield had broken. The princess lay on the ground unconscious like the rest of the group. Malon rushed toward her friend's side. "Zelda, please wake up!" she cried out, shaking the blonde-haired girl gently.

There was no where to hide.

Malon quickly scampered to her feet and dodged a sloppy thrust from the Wolfos. Why was it that this one monster had enough strength and cleverness to defeat four Sages? Was it just how the cards were set up that day? Was it just bad luck catching up to her? Malon didn't have time to contemplate why this was occurring. A sharp stinging sensation from her shoulder quickly pulled her out from her thoughts. She looked down and noticed blood trickle onto the blades of grass. The Wolfos had struck her.

Malon held her injured shoulder. Where was hope now? She was too hurt to run away. The next attack would be a sure kill. She knew it. She closed her eyes tightly. _"Link! I'm sorry! I-I can't even protect myself! I don't want to die. I don't want to die!"_

She expected the next sound to be the ripping of her flesh. However, it was not the sound she had anticipated; it was the sound of the Wolfos' screeching howl followed by a loud thud. Malon opened her eyes and saw the Master Sword planted firmly in the dead Wolfos' back. She turned her attention to the two figures across the arena--Impa and Link.

He never looked at her--not even once. His eyes remained fixated on the dead Wolfos.

Impa knelt by the king, checking for any signs of life. He was still alive, but barely. "It looks like your feeling was correct. We made it here just in time," Impa said sternly. "Everyone is alive. However, they are pretty bruised up. We should get them to the castle immediately for medical attention."

Link nodded as he helped Impa remove the fallen tree from Darunia. He did not rush to Malon's side. He did not ask if she was all right. Nothing. Malon watched as he helped Impa lift the half-conscious Darunia to his feet. Why did he ignore her? Was he mad at her? Was there something she did not know?

She wanted to scream out his name but she remained silent in disbelief and pain.

_"You saved me again. It's just like a fairytale. You're my knight in shining armor. Yet you never sweep me off my feet and take me far away. You leave me in debt to you. I'm always in debt to you,"_ Malon closed her eyes, letting her tears travel down her cheek.

Link watched Malon cover her face to hide her tears. _"I'm sorry, Malon. I'm sorry."_

**Notes: **This is the longest chapter I've written! I wonder what's up with Link? And you really thought the king's sanity returned for a moment, didn't you? Well my friends, that's quite impossible for someone who never had any sanity to begin with. I want to mention that I will be starting school again in a few days. I won't have much time to update my story, but I will try to update as much as I can. Thanks for reading.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

The castle's doctor observed Malon's shoulder wound carefully. He placed his wrinkled hand on his chin, stroking his nonexistent beard. He walked around her slowly; the tapping of his feet meeting the ground echo within the room. Malon tensely watched the doctor pace back and forth in thought. She nervously fiddled with her fingers, never taking her eyes from the doctor. He stopped suddenly and turned toward the red-headed girl. "Thankfully, the wound is not that deep. However, you will need to rest for a while. I'll tell His Majesty to hold off the competition until you are in better shape," he said, still stroking his imaginary beard.

Malon sighed in relief. She had believed there was something wrong with her. It wasn't a bad injury, but one that would keep her out of the competition until she healed completely. "Thank you," she replied to the good doctor and left the infirmary. She took a deep breath outside the room and touched her shoulder lightly. She had been lucky. Any deeper and it would have pierced her heart.

"You okay?"

Malon jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. She turned around slowly and noticed Link resting against the wall outside the infirmary. Had he been waiting for her? Malon smiled weakly, removing her hand from her injury. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you faster," Link pushed himself off the wall and approached Malon. "I'm sorry I let that damn Wolfos hurt you. I won't let this happen again," he said, gingerly reaching for her shoulder only to have her pull away from him. He frowned, tilting his head slightly. "Malon? Are you okay? Is there something wrong?"

"No. I'm still shaken up from earlier today. That's all," she replied in a barely audible tone.

Link shifted his weight onto his other leg. He took in a deep breath and sighed. "Mal, you know that I know you better than that. I can tell when there's something wrong. And you know pretending like there isn't anything wrong is not going to fool me. Has it ever?"

Malon narrowed her eyes annoyingly. She was so close to the point of yelling at him. But what would that solve? Nothing. It would make her feel better, but it would fix nothing. Instead, she sighed heavily and began walking to her room. Link quirked an eyebrow in confusion, following closely behind her.

"Malon please talk to me. I want to know if I can help."

She stopped suddenly in her tracks. He wanted to help her. But could she tell him that the reason for her woe was because of him? Link stopped just inches behind her, narrowing his eyes in confusion. He never understood women and their confusing ways of expressing themselves. She was upset one minute and angry the next minute.

"Tell me something," she finally spoke, never taking her intent gaze from the floor. "Why did you help me the other day? Why did you risk your life with that spider over me?"

Link was now even more confused. What was she trying to ask him? "That's a foolish question. You know why I did it," he replied with a small hint of frustration looming in his voice.

Malon shook her head. "No. I don't know why anyone would do such a thing."

Link reached out for her again but pulled his hand back fearing she may reject his touch again. He sighed and lowered his head. "I didn't want anything bad to happen to you. I could never forgive myself if I allowed you to become hurt."

Malon placed her fingertips on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm acting this way," she turned to him and smiled. "I hope you can excuse me. I just need to rest."

Link nodded slowly. "Just get some rest and I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning. Would you like me to walk you to your room?"

"No thank you but I appreciate the offer," she said slowly before walking to her room. "Goodnight."

Link scratched his neck as he watched her walk away. There was something burdening her, and she refused to tell him. He wanted to know. He hated seeing her this way. He hardly saw her smile and laugh anymore. Link narrowed his eyes. Maybe he had done something to make her this way. Link shook his head. _"It must be the competition," _he thought wrongly before heading back to his chambers.

There was something wrong about the way she acted toward him. It bothered him knowing that he could not help her. He shook his head. Maybe she just needed time alone. Or maybe she just needed a little push to get her to start talking.

* * *

Malon lay on her bed; her arms thrown carelessly above her head. She had stopped herself from saying anything more to Link. She did not know how he felt about her anymore. There was a time when she had believed maybe, just maybe, he considered her more than just a friend. However, all happy thoughts about he and she were quickly tossed aside with one simple action. Yes, perhaps Malon had thought wrong. Why else would Link act so strangely around her?

The stubborn girl had little time to contemplate further on his strange behavior toward her; her thoughts were thrown into disarray by the light knocks that emanated from her door. She paused momentarily, trying to think of who would visit her at this time at night. "Yes, who is there?" she finally spoke, still trying to regain her calmness from the sudden knock.

"It's me," the oh-so-familiar voice called from the other side. "May I come in?"

"At this time of night? I'm sleeping, Link," replied Malon dryly.

"I want to talk to you," he paused. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips before he attempted another approach. "If you were sleeping, would you have heard me at the door?"

Malon closed her eyes tightly. She knew there was no avoiding Link. When he was determined to do something, he would do everything in his power to get that of which he desired. Malon knew him better than she could have hoped. She could not avoid the situation any longer. It was time to face the truth.

She rolled over onto her side and pulled herself off the bed. Moving slowly to the door, she could feel her heart beating against her breast; it wanted to escape her. Unlocking the door, she opened it to where she could peek through the small crack. She half-smiled. "What brings you here at this time at night?" she asked casually, disguising her nervousness and frustration.

Link looked left and then right, making sure no one had seen him enter Malon's room. He shut the door behind him, locking it so if someone did come to pay a visit, he would have time to escape over the balcony. The blonde-headed man bit his lip--he was lost for words. He had only thought of just entering her room and not what he would say afterwards. He, of course, figured she would not allow him to enter due to the fact that her stubbornness always prevailed. However, he was proven wrong when she allowed him to enter, and now he was left scrambling for words in his mind to say.

He had successfully infiltrated her room but he found himself in a bad position. He had only made Malon more irritated than before. Malon crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side. He could tell by the look on her face that she was not amused by his silence. He cleared his throat. "I couldn't sleep because I was worried about you. I just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something burdening you."

Malon's eyes retreated from their locked gaze. He was worried about her. She held back a smile. It made her happy knowing he came to her to make sure she was all right. "I'm flattered that you're concerned for me, but I'm fine."

Link wasn't convinced. He could tell by the look in her eye that there was something still lingering; its hold tighter than ever. He had decided even before he came to her room that he would not leave until he saw her smile--until he allayed whatever burdened her. "Are you sure? You're so tense around me."

She wanted to scream as loud as her lungs and voice would allow her. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair to her. He was allowed to avoid her and leave many questions unexplained, but she was not allowed to. Nothing was fair anymore. "I'm fine. Why do you keep asking me?" she feigned a giggle.

"Why do you keep avoiding the question?" he asked in a stern tone.

"Why do you keep hurting me?" she whispered so inaudibly that the Goddesses could not make out. Link, however, had very keen hearing. His eyes widened and then narrowed into tiny slits. She looked up, knowing she had caught him off guard with her question. However, she began to doubt if she should have kept her mouth shut.

His eyebrows furrowed. He was once again at loss for words. What should he say to something like that? He could not form the words. He just stared blankly at the smaller girl in front of him.

"Is there something wrong between us?" Malon gathered the courage to continued. She was not going to just stand there and leave her questions unvoiced--she wanted answers. "I mean, sometimes you act very strange around me, and I do not understand what I've done wrong."

"Malon, you haven't done anything wrong…" he replied in a whisper, his voice slightly raspy from being nervous.

"Then why!" shouted Malon. "Please explain it to me!"

"I don't know. I don't know why I do a lot of things. I can't explain it to you," he finally answered after a long pause. It wasn't the answer she was hoping for. Malon bit her lower lip, fighting back the tears that wanted to escape. She would not cry--not in front of him. Link turned away from her. He knew she was expecting a full, in-depth answer. He wanted to know himself why he did many things. He lowered his head in embarrassment. "So, I'm the burden."

The tone of his voice, she noted, dripped with desolation. He was honest with her; he truly did not know why he did the things he did. He never intentionally meant to hurt her. It just happened on its on accord. Malon shook her head. "No, you are not my burden."

She turned to his backside, smiling slightly. She had finally accepted his answer. Link was Link. No one could explain him or his actions. He was a mystery, and sometimes, even to himself. Malon approached his muscular figure, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in the soft fabric he wore. He became tense from the sudden touch but soon relaxed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his back. Her warm breath made goose bumps prickle on his skin.

"Why are you apologizing? You've done nothing wrong."

"I'm sorry for doubting you. I'm sorry for blaming you for my mistakes. I'm sorry for making you upset."

"I'm not sad anymore…"

There was a long silence between them. Mostly because they both enjoyed being so near each other; words could not express what they felt being so close to the other. Link reached for her small hand with his larger one, completely engulfing hers. His were coarse and callused from wielding the Master Sword. Hers were soft like a new born baby despite the fact she worked constantly on the ranch. Link closed his eyes. "I don't want to make you sad. You make feel things that I can't put my finger on--things I can't even begin to comprehend," he paused. "If I do something wrong again, just give me a big slap across the face. I'll take the hint."

Malon laughed. "All right. It's a deal then."

They spent another moment close to each other. Link looked out the window. The sun was forcing itself from behind the horizon. Had he really been with Malon for that long? He reluctantly pulled away from her and pouted like a small child. "I need to get to my room. If I stay any longer, someone will notice I'm not in my room and come looking for me."

"I know," she replied sadly, looking away from her friend.

He made his way to the door, turning back to her, he smiled. "Don't worry. Just get some rest and I'll see you before you know it."

Link opened the door slowly and quickly left the room but not before he could flash her a playful smirk. Malon sighed heavily and plopped down onto her bed. At least now she could be worry free. Suddenly, the door burst open followed by a loud slam. Malon looked up. Link was panting heavily, resting on the door as if he were barricading it. "I thought you were going back to your room," Malon asked suspiciously.

"T-the king! He's coming this way!" Link stammered, still panting like he just ran a marathon. "I can't get out this way."

Malon jerked from her seat. "Link! Your hat!"

Link patted his head. Feeling nothing but his unruly hair, his eyes widened; it had dropped outside Malon's door. Link rushed toward the balcony, looking over the railing cautiously. He had jumped from higher places before so this was nothing new to him. However, the fact that right under him were thorn bushes made him hesitate.

Outside the bedroom, the king passed by the door. Noticing the familiar cap, he picked it up. "Oh, this looks like Link's hat he always wears. I wonder why it's in front of this door. It's certainly not Link's room," he studied the door. "This is Malon's room. I wonder why Link's hat is right in front of her door. Maybe I should go inside and see if Link is in there. Yes, I'm going to open this door now and interrogate Malon. Hm! This is mighty suspicious!"

"Link!" Malon cried out. "hurry up and jump before he walks in here!"

Link looked at the thorn bushes again. "Can't you hide me in your closet?"

The door knob jiggled.

Malon looked at the door and then at the hesitant Link.

A small click reverberated in the room.

"I'm sorry, Link," Malon closed her eyes and pushed Link over the railing right as the king entered the room. A loud thud, and many curses following very soon after, was heard from under the balcony. Malon bit her lower lip. She had no choice but to push him off the balcony.

"Ah, Malon," the king's eye fell onto her. "I found this outside your door," he held out the green hat.

Malon grinned. "Oh! You found it! My _green_ handkerchief!"

The king studied it. "If you ask me, it looks more like Link's hat than a handkerchief."

She approached the king, snatching the cloth from his hands. "I don't see any resemblance," she paused and brought Link's hat to her nose. "I accidentally dropped it outside. Thank you for finding it for me. My nose was really clogged up!"

And thank Din Link was not in the room to see what happened next. His favorite hat was covered in Malon's mucus. She laughed nervously, thinking how Link was going to kill her after he found out about what she did.

The king shrugged. "Well, you should be more careful with your things. I don't want to have to pick up after you again."

"Yes, it won't happen again!"

The king sighed and left the room. After he exited, Malon quickly locked the door and ran toward the balcony. "Link, can you hear me? Link?"

"Thanks Malon… for pushing me into a garden of thorn bushes!" Link, covered head to toe in thorns, crawled out from the bushes. He looked down at himself. He held back his laughter; after all, it was pretty amusing after knowing he survived with little injury.

"You better hurry up and get to your room before someone finds you!" Malon called out, waving her hands above her head.

"Yes, yes. I know."

"Oh! Before I forget, here's your hat!" she tossed it out the window into his hands. "I'll see you in a few hours!"

Malon closed the balcony door, leaving a rather embarrassed hero outside her room. He sighed and put the hat back onto his head. Adjusting it slightly, he could feel something sticky in his hair. Link patted his hair and looked at his hand. "What the Din is this?"

And then it dawned on him.

Malon tucked herself in bed. She knew she could not gain a full night's rest, and that she would soon have to get out of bed. But a little nap would not hurt. Rolling on her side, she could have sworn she heard someone screaming her name. She shrugged. She was so exhausted; she was just hearing things. Or at least, that was what she had convinced herself to believe.

**Notes:** Don't hurt me! I know it's been a while since my last update but school has been piling the work on me. I haven't had time for much of anything. I actually wrote a good portion of this story during my free time in class because I didn't have time at home to do it. That just shows how dedicated to this story I am! Thanks for all the feedback. It makes Miss Paper Bear happy when she sees alerts in her mailbox.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

The king paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. In his hands he held a document in which he read over and over. He brought his free hand to his chin, rubbing his chin in thought. An annoyed frown curved at his lips. It wasn't supposed to be this hard. He thought he had planned out everything perfectly. However, the passed few events had proven otherwise.

She was definitely becoming a nuisance to his plan.

The servant at the king's side watched his master pace nervously in thought. The king paused momentarily, looking over the document one more time before throwing it into the fire. He turned toward the servant, holding out his hand to give him another document. The king snatched it quickly from his hands and read it. He laughed in amusement. "I'm surprised," he began, wiping away his nonexistent tears from laughing. "I really am surprised at these turn of events."

His servant said nothing, mainly because he had no clue what the older man was talking about. The king laughed again, this time sounding more psychotic before. The servant bit his lip. What was becoming of the king? Had his plan really failed to go as planned?

"I'm really surprised at Talon's daughter. She is showing some potential," he paused, sighing slightly. "But what surprises me most is how Link seems to be so fond of that girl. He has already risked his life twice for her."

He stifled another laugh. His servant cleared his throat, handing his master another document to throw in the fire. The king sighed, placing his hands on his hips. He stared into the fire and watched the paper turn black and then into ashes. He slapped his forehead. "Why should thing be this difficult? If only Link would cooperate with my wishes, I wouldn't have to go out of my way to do this."

At that moment a light knock emanated from the door. The king casually turned his head as if he were doing nothing questionable. He paused briefly before speaking. "Yes, come in. The door is unlocked."

The door opened slightly and another castle servant popped his head in through the crack. He looked around nervously. "Your Majesty," he began; his voice slightly trembling. "I have delivered the message. Link and the others are awaiting you in the dining room. Should I tell them you are occupied with other matters right now?"

The king shook his head. "No, that will be quite all right. I will be there momentarily. You are dismissed now."

The servant nodded vigorously and quickly departed. The king sighed and took the rest of the papers in his hands. He looked at them one more time before throwing them into the fire. "No need to keep papers that I will never need anymore," he laughed goodheartedly. Turning to his faithful, yet confused, servant, he smiled and patted him roughly on the shoulder. "I have other matters to attend to now. You are free to go back to your work."

* * *

The group sat at their usual favorite seats in the dining room as the awaited for their king's arrival. They were awakened early that morning and asked to meet in the dining room for breakfast and an unusual rare morning conference. What had the king been planning? The dining room that morning was unusually quiet. All but two seemed to be fully awake. Link sat at the end of the table. His head kept dropping every second. Malon watched Link struggle to stay awake. He seemed to be failing miserably.

Zelda watched Link in amusement. She had never seen the hero in such a state before. She quirked an eyebrow as she studied the fellow blonde. His head dropped again but he was able to catch himself before his head hit the table. The action repeated again and again. Zelda stifled a giggle. "Did you not sleep well last night, Link?"

Link, with one eye closed, looked at the princess. He frowned, wanting to tell her not to talk to him. He was too tired to participate in a conversation. "Mmhmm," he replied groggily.

Zelda pouted slightly, noting Link's odd behavior. It was then that the princess noticed foreign objects in Link's unruly hair. Her eyes widened as she realized what _treasures_ were buried in his hair. She cleared her throat, looking away from the weary hero. "I do not know how to say this nicely but did you know you have boogers in your hair?"

Malon, who sat at a safe distance from Link, spat out the milk she had been sipping on. However, it did little to distract the attention from Link.

Link blinked once then twice before realizing what the princess meant. Quickly thinking, he replied. "Well, yeah. Did you just notice them? I put them there this morning," he crossed his arms over his chest and turned away with a smug grin plastered on his face.

"Ew! That is so gross! Why on earth would you do that?" Ruto shouted in disgust from across the table. "That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard!"

Link rolled his eyes and ignored the group. He was too tired to listen to it.

Before anyone could comment on his new hairstyle, the king casually walked into the dining room with a goofy grin. He examined the room carefully. Everyone was there. "Good morning everyone! It's a lovely day outside, isn't it?"

They grumbled and crossed their arms stubbornly.

The king laughed and took a seat in his chair. He clapped his hands to initiate breakfast. Within a few seconds servants came rushing into the room with trays of food. They set the trays onto the table and quickly went back into the kitchen to gather more. When their was hardly any room left on the table the servants retreated back into the kitchen. The king laughed, filling his plate with a serving of everything he could possibly reach.

The group looked on as they watched their leader eat until he was ready to explode. It was definitely a once in a lifetime sight.

"So," Nabooru crossed her legs into a more comfortable position. "You called us here because you wanted to have a conference with us, right? What is it you need to talk about?"

The king stuffed biscuits into his mouth before replying. "It's about the competition."

The group paused momentarily to decipher what he had said.

"Despite what the doctor told me," he swallowed his foot finally, making it clearer for the group to understand him, "I have decided that we will have another round today."

"What? You can't do that!" Ruto stood up, slamming her hands on the table. "You cannot go against the doctor's orders! We are in no condition to compete!"

"For once, I have to agree with her," Nabooru added, a hint of anger and disbelief dripped from her voice.

"No one tells me what to do, not even a doctor. We are behind schedule!" the king stated angrily. "With all these extra events that have happened, we have been thrown off schedule tremendously! We must end this competition before the middle of next week."

Malon turned her head. Something was odd. She immediately picked up the panic in his voice. He seemed to be in a rush to finish the competition. Then it dawned on her. He wanted to announce the winner of the competition on Hyrule's birthday. The king had reigned over the kingdom for almost three decades. If Malon remembered correctly, the tradition was to announce--

BAM!

Suddenly, a stream of curses was heard from Link's side of the table; his head had been properly introduced to the table.

"Link, are you okay?" the king asked, trying desperately to hold back his laughter.

Link rubbed his head and mumbled more curses. If he wasn't awake then, he certainly was now.

The king, who sat beside Link, patted the boy on his back and continued his meal. After he finished he turned his attention to the group who was still in a state of shock from his earlier announcement. He wiped his mouth with the napkin and set it on his plate. "I hope everyone had a good breakfast. We will prepare to go north later today. I have set up the next competition there."

"What will we have to do?" asked Zelda.

"Hmm, it's another obstacle course," he replied coolly.

"Oh, how original," Nabooru commented sarcastically.

"This time two people will be eliminated."

And then the room became silent.

**Notes: **I am so sorry! This chapter was not what I had intended to write. But I was in such a rush to get another chapter out before the hurricane hits me. Yes, I live in the hurricane's target zone so I don't know when the next time I'll be able to update. I'm sorry this chapter wasn't as good as the others.


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

Malon placed her hand on her injured shoulder. The king was defying the doctor's orders to hold the competition until the group was fully healed; he had set up the next course regardless of their injuries. She studied the condition of her fellow competitors. It was clear that they were in no condition to compete either. Even the king himself was still in bandages. The king sat contentedly in his chair with a smug grin plastered across his face. It was as if he were secretly Ganondorf in disguise. Not knowing what thoughts crossed his mind frightened Malon. Of course, if she did know what he was thinking, she might have been even more scared.

Link grimaced. "How are the girls able to compete? They can hardly walk without some sort of support!"

The king nodded as if he had heard Link's ranting millions of times before. He crossed his arms over his wide chest and allowed a chuckle to escape his lips. "Link, my boy, I am fully aware of the condition these ladies are in. That's why I decided to allow them to work in pairs for the next round. This way they can help each other," he, almost as if he was proud of his great idea, finished with a wider grin.

Link knew starting an argument with the older man would lead no where. The king was confident his idea was flawless, and when the king was confident about his great schemes, there was no convincing him otherwise.

Link's eyes trailed down the table until they met with a pair of apprehensive blue orbs. He instinctively reached for Malon's hand to allay her discomfort only to stop after he realized she was out of his reach. He knew she was worried. She was still healing from the other day, and she was in no condition to compete. _"Malon, sometimes I wish you weren't here. Then, I would know that you would be safe at home. Why can't I protect you?" _He withdrew his hand but not his concern for the girl whom he had developed feelings for.

Standing up the king pushed his chair in. The familiar grin on his face ceased to fade away. "I hope you ladies and gentlemen had a great breakfast. Once I have the carriages ready, we'll head toward our new destination," he paused to laugh, holding his sides in fear they may burst. "I'm very proud of my idea. I had my men scouting for the perfect area even before the competition began."

Link mentally slapped his forehead. The king seemed even more preposterous after he was attacked. The king merrily left the dining room with a small skip in his walk. Link rolled his eyes. He would never understand the way the king functioned. Once the king stepped out of the room, it became deathly quiet. None of the room's occupants moved a muscle until the servants came into the room and cleaned the tables.

Link shifted nervously in his seat. It was then that he noticed all eyes were on him. He had became the unofficial spokesperson for the group on accident. _"What am I going to do now?"_

"Thanks for trying to talk him out of it, Link," Darunia was first to speak. "I guess it doesn't work on someone who doesn't care about the well-being of others."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't do something to help," Link said almost inaudibly. He sighed and stood up abruptly. The room was becoming too crowded; he needed some fresh air. Maybe there was still something he could do. "Excuse me," he said before escaping the room in a hurry.

Malon watched as Link scurried away. She sighed half in relief and half in frustration. She saw from the expression on his face that he was concerned; concerned for her, however, she did not know. She shuffled her feet nervously under her chair. She thought the king would be understanding in the situation the group was in. However, like many times before, he was anything but understanding.

_"Link, I don't know what you're thinking. I just hope that you'll trust me in whatever I may do,"_ Malon thought as she played with her fingers nervously. _"I cannot give up. I've made it this far. I just can't give up now. I… I don't want to give up on this… Isn't this what I wanted?"_

At that moment a timid servant, holding his hands in one another, walked into the room. "The king instructed me to tell you that the carriages are ready for departure. You need to meet him at the front gate immediately," he stuttered nervously, knowing the group would not be pleased with his message.

"What!" Ruto slammed her fists onto the table. "This soon? None of us are ready yet!"

"I'm sorry. I'm just doing as I was told," he quickly dodge several plates flying toward him. "I'm just a messenger!" he screamed out of fear as he quickly ran away from Ruto before she became even angrier.

"What are we going to do now?" Saria asked the near-silent group. "It looks like we have no choice but to compete."

Unfortunately for the group, Saria was right. They had no choice.

* * *

The king sat comfortably in his expensive carriage; the door was opened wide to serve as an air conditioning while he awaited his contestants. He shuffled through the papers one of his many servants handed him. The king shook his head in discontent. "We are way behind on schedule," he sighed, rubbing his temple in frustration. "How have the plans for the festival been?" 

"The plans have been running smoothly. We are very proud of how things have been running. The festival next week will be splendid!" the servant flashed his boss a satisfied smile.

The king chuckled. "That's good but I meant the wedding plans. You know next week is when I want to announce the Link's new wife. It will mark Hyrule's three-hundredth birthday. It's a very important day."

"Oh! The wedding plans! Well, I have not been able to contact the man in charge of the wedding but I assume Princess Zelda will be very pleased with the arrangements," he said with another toothy grin.

The king narrowed his eyes. "Oh, you are mighty confident that my daughter will win the competition."

The man faltered slightly, realizing that he had said too much. "I am sorry. I was only told from the other workers in the festival that everyone knew of the _plans_."

The king's muscles tensed upon hearing the servant's words. "Now, if everyone knew of _our_ little plan, there would be no fun. Am I correct?" the king paused briefly to allow the servant to nod in acknowledgment. "Besides, if _the boss_ found out that one of the competitors knew the plan, we would have to make sure that person said nothing to anyone. You have to be very careful of what you say to others. You don't want to say the wrong thing to the wrong person. _We've_ worked too hard to let everything crumble now."

"Yes sir. I'm sorry to be a burden to you," he apologized profusely before running back to his duties.

"Burden is an understatement! Ha! Ha!"

"Whose life are you making miserable now?" Link asked dryly as he approached the carriage.

The king jumped from the sudden realization Link was behind him. "Oh ho ho ho! How long have you been standing there, my boy?"

"I just got here. A servant told me the carriages were ready for departure," Link's voice faltered slightly before regaining its strength again. "I noticed you were yelling at one of your servants again. You're pretty tough on them."

"Well, my boy, if you don't lay down the rules firmly, they'll run loose. We can't have them do that now, can we?" the king said with a nervous laugh. "Sometimes they talk without thinking. Some people will never learn, right Link?"

Link refrained from responding. Instead the young man's attention was drawn toward the group of girls approaching the two carriages. His eyes, however, were drawn to a single person. _"Why can't I protect her? I have to do something to stop her from getting hurt again. She may not be happy about it but there's no way I can allow her to stay here anymore. It's too dangerous."_

Once they arrived at the front gate, Nabooru looked around the area as if something were missing. "Hey! Where's the Loser Mobile?"

The king's pointed ears perked up upon hearing Nabooru's question. "Oh! I forgot to tell you. Did you know the Loser Mobile was broken? It's completely unsafe!"

Nabooru's face fell. "Did you know we've been trying to tell you the same thing for weeks now?"

"Don't question my questions with questions!"

"What?"

"See! You're doing it again!"

"…"

"Now that we have finished our discussion on questioning questions, I will brief everyone on what we will be doing today," he began as he stepped out of his carriage and drew near the group. "Today we will be visiting my brand new obstacle course. I understand that none of you are feeling well. That is why you will work with a partner on this next course. Of course, if your partner fails, so will you. That means the two of you must work together in harmony."

Saria observed the group. "There's an uneven amount of contestants. Someone will have to work alone."

The king smiled and pulled out several colored straws from his pocket. "I was waiting for someone to mention that. It wouldn't be fair to force someone to work by his or herself. So instead we'll have a little game; whoever wins will be exempted from the next challenge."

"Hm. That sounds pretty fair to me," Darunia said rubbing his chin as he took a straw from the king's hand.

Link inspected carefully as each contestant took a straw from the king's sneaky hands. He quickly noticed the king's finger slightly push one of the straws as Zelda reached for one. Link raised an eyebrow. Was everything falling into place now?

"Now that everyone has a straw, take a look at it! If you have a black band on the bottom of your straw that means you are our million rupee winner!" the king threw a handful of fabric from his pockets into the air as a substitute for confetti.

"I won a million rupees!" Saria shouted ecstatically.

"Hey! So did I!" Darunia danced with Saria in celebration of his new fortune.

The king snorted. "Ha! Ha! Ha! I was only joking! If you have a black band that means you're a loser. If you have a white band that means you are exempted from the next challenge," the king turned to Zelda who was holding the winning straw. "Well, it looks like you are automatically entered in the next challenge."

"Of course she would win," Ruto commented bitterly. "She's his daughter. He probably has this whole competition rigged for her."

Malon shuffled her feet nervously and wrapped her arms around her back. _"I feel so guilty for not saying anything to anyone about the competition. Am I the only one who knows what the king is really planning?"_ Malon looked at the princess. _"She seems so oblivious to her father's real intentions. I wonder what she'll think when she finds out her father--"_

Malon's thoughts were quickly interrupted when the king spoke again. "Now for the rest of you, look at your straws. The two who share the same color are partners."

"Aw man!" Ruto threw her straw onto the ground. "My partner is Darunia."

The Goron rolled his eyes and tossed his straw over his broad shoulder. "The feeling's mutual."

Impa and Saria shared the same color, easing Saria's uneasiness; she knew she had a strong and reliable partner, and she and Impa worked together without any complications unlike Ruto and Darunia. That left Nabooru and Malon as partners, and Malon could not have been any happier.

"All right!" the king stepped into his carriage. "Is everyone ready for the next competition?"

"N-"

"Great! I love the enthusiasm!" the king waved toward Link and Zelda. "You two will ride with me. The others can ride in that one. I left them a surprise in it! Ha! Ha!" the king's laughs echoed hauntingly in the group's ears as he, Zelda, and Link boarded the carriage and took off.

"I wonder what he left us in that carriage," Nabooru wondered out loud. "I hope it's not a dead body."

The group became silent.

"What? You don't think he would do that to us?" asked Nabooru skeptically.

"Darunia, darling," Ruto battered her nonexistent eyelashes. "Would you so kindly check out that carriage for us ladies? I mean, if you were a gentlemen, you would do that without us having to ask you."

"I'm a rock not a gentlemen," he crossed his arms stubbornly over his broad chest.

"Darunia," Malon pushed her luck with the Goron leader, "could you please take a look for us? I'm afraid the king might have something we don't want to see."

Darunia uncrossed his arms. He promised Link he would take care of his _girlfriend_ while Link was away, and Darunia was a man, or rock, of his word. "All right. I'll take a peek to see if the coast is clear."

He cautiously approached the carriage, stopping once he reached the door. He paused momentarily. If he had a heart, he knew it would have been beating uncontrollably at that moment. He reached for the door knob. The suspense was worse than any horror movie.

"Just open the door already!" Ruto shouted from a safe distance. "If something jumps out and attacks you, we'll run away and find someone who will help you."

"Thanks. I feel so much better now," Darunia replied sarcastically and quickly swung open the door. He looked around the nice interior. Nothing seemed out of place or life-threatening. "The coast is clear. There's nothing in here."

"Are you sure? Did you check it good enough?" Saria asked. "Or was the king trying to scare us again?"

"No, I don't see anything. It looks like we can finally have a safe and relaxing ride," Darunia gave the group and thumbs up and hopped into the carriage. "And look, we'll have enough room for me to ride in here, too!"

One by one the group climbed into the carriage. It was large enough for the whole group, like Darunia said. Once they were seated comfortably, the carriage took off and followed the king's carriage.

"I was afraid he would have put something in here. I guess he was just pulling our legs," Nabooru laughed. "I hate that man."

"Don't we all?" Impa replied dryly.

"You hate the man you're supposed to protect? Well isn't that comforting to know. I'm glad I'm not him," Nabooru rested her cheek in her palm.

"My duties are not to protect him. I'm Zelda's caretaker."

"Right. Right. I forgot," Nabooru replied, tuning out the Sheikah woman completely.

Malon sighed and placed her hands in her lap. She had come a long way. She reminisced on the day she found out about the competition and how angry she was. But yet, she thought, she still continued to go through with the whole idea. Malon shook her head and looked up at the carriage's ceiling. What had possessed her to go through an ordeal such as the competition.

Was it because she loved Link?

That was when she noticed something out of place on the ceiling. She studied it for a moment until she realized what it was. Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh… My… Din…!"

"What? What's wrong?" asked a concern Ruto.

Malon, without saying a single word, pointed to the ceiling. Everyone's eyes followed her finger. They examined the object the red-haired girl pointed to, and once they realized what it was, their jaws dropped.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

"So," Link began, shuffling his feet below him. "What was the pleasant surprise you left them?" 

"Huh?" the king asked as if he did not understand Link's question.

"You said you had a surprise for the group in their carriage. I was wondering what it was."

"Oh! That! Heh. Heh." the king laughed nervously.

Link rolled his eyes. "Well?"

"I'm a little ashamed of that now that I think about it," the king's voice trailed off.

"Father," Zelda's voice sounded slightly agitated. "Please do not tell me that you did _that_ again?"

"Well…"

"Father!"

"I couldn't help it! It makes me chuckle!" he lowered his head in shame. "I know you told me that I shouldn't do it, but I just had to do it again."

Zelda crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "How in the world can you find that funny?"

Link looked at the two like a lost puppy. "Will someone please fill me in? I'd like to know what he did."

The king blushed, almost too embarrassed to tell Link. "Well, I taped a nude picture of me on their ceiling."

"YOU WHAT!"

"No need to overreact my dear boy. They'll be fine," the king patted Link on his back. "Did you know I used to be a model back in the day? All the girls chased after me like they do for you now. Hey? Link? Are you listening to me?" the king waved his hand in front of Link who seemed too shocked to respond.

* * *

"Oh my Din! That is so disgusting!" Malon shielded Saria's eyes from the picture. "Someone please get that out of here!" 

"I'm not touching that damn thing! Who knows what kind of germs could be on it!" Nabooru gagged. She had seen a lot of disturbing things in her life, but that picture was, by far, the worst thing she had ever laid eyes on. "Darunia, you get it out of here!"

"There is no way I'm touching that!" Darunia guarded his head from Nabooru's on-coming attacks.

"It's your fault! You were the one who was supposed to make sure there was nothing in here!" Ruto exclaimed, shielding her eyes from the horrid picture.

"How was I supposed to know that man would tape a naked picture of himself in our carriage?" an almost delusional Darunia asked.

"Well you should have looked up!" Ruto slapped the Goron over his head several times.

"At least it's just one picture," Impa turned her head and looked out the window. "You're lucky you didn't open a closet full of pictures like that."

"From the way you're talking, it sounds like you've learned from experience," Nabooru held back a laugh.

"Unfortunately. I was preparing for bed one night when I opened my closet. The last thing I remember is a pile of the king's nude photos came crashing on top of me…" she sighed, trying to shake out the horrible memory. "I'd like to forget about that experience, if you don't mind."

"Hello! The picture is still there! Will someone please remove it now?" Ruto shouted, bringing everyone back to reality.

Darunia looked at Impa. "Hey, since you've already--"

"No. I am not touching that picture."

"Fine! I'll remove the picture! But all you ladies owe me big time!" Darunia shouted as he reached for the picture.

"Thank you!"

"Yeah. Yeah," he grumbled, holding back a sudden urge to gag. He yanked the picture from the ceiling and opened the door to toss it out.

However, the picture did not want to thrown out just yet.

"Din! The paper is stuck to my hand!" Darunia cried out in hysteria.

"Shake it off!" shouted Malon.

"Use the other hand and pulled it off!" instructed Saria.

"Just kill yourself now! You're too far away to be saved anymore!" yelled Nabooru.

"Someone help me! Please!" Darunia whimpered, trying to shake the picture off his hand. But to no avail, the picture was content where it was.

But Darunia proved that no matter how bad things became, they could always become worse. The wind suddenly blew the paper off his hand. But now, the paper was stuck to his face.

"AHHHHHH! IT'S ON MY FACE! SOMEONE PLEASE GET IT OFF!"

"Stop looking in our direction! You're blinding us!" Ruto covered her eyes.

"I have an idea!" Nabooru lifted her leg and kicked the Goron out of the carriage.

"ARGH! AHHHHHHHHH!" Darunia's cries faded away as the carriage continued its trail.

"That sounded painful," Impa commented.

"Nabooru!" Malon snapped. "Why did you kick him out of the carriage? You could have hurt him!"

"Oh c'mon! He's a rock! You can't hurt him!" Nabooru reached over and closed the door. "Besides, at least we don't have to look at that picture anymore. You should thank me."

Saria looked out the window in the back of the carriage. "Should we go back and get him?"

"Not if that picture is still stuck on him," Nabooru laughed.

"That was my partner!" Ruto whimpered.

-------

The king stood next to his carriage with his hand shielding his eyes from the sun's rays. He shook his head and tapped his foot impatiently. "They are always slow."

"Father," Zelda, who sat comfortably on the grass, began, "we just arrived here not even a minute ago. You should learn to be more patient sometimes."

"Zelda, I don't need you to nag me like your mother did. That's why your mother is no longer alive," the king shook his head disappointedly.

"What?"

"You haven't heard? The three goddesses kill women who nag too much. You'll be next if you don't stop nagging me."

"That's ludicrous."

"No, it's the truth. They didn't teach you that in school?"

"I never went to school."

"See! That's the problem! Your mother never enrolled you in a good school."

"But she was dead…"

"That's because she nagged too much," the king waved his index finger as if Zelda were a small child. "You should learn from her mistakes."

"…"

The king turned his attention toward Link who had finally recovered from the initial shock. The king patted the boy on his back. "One day, my son, this will all be yours," the king pointed with his hand at the landscape in front of them.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Whatever the light touches will be yours," the king sniffled, wiping away his nonexistent tears.

"Okay…"

"But that dark shady area over there," he pointed toward the right. "You can't have that."

"…"

"It's too dark there, and you won't be able to see a blasted thing if you go there!" the king laughed. "Seriously, though. Between you and me, that is where I'm holding the last round of the competition. It's perfect! There's a cave--"

"Wait a moment! Is that the forbidden area that the goddesses condemned before ascending to the heavens? I heard there were all sorts of deadly monsters lurking there," Link said, remembering one of the old stories the Great Deku tree had told him. "You wouldn't really send someone there, would you?"

"Why not? That area provides a great challenge! Besides, you need a strong and brave woman to keep up with you!" the king patted Link on the back again and walked away.

_"Who are you to tell me what kind of woman I need?_" Link narrowed his eyes as the king walked away from him. The king insisted he knew what kind of woman Link needed in his life. He knew nothing. Link had already decided on what he wanted.

"Oh! It looks like they're here!" the king pointed toward the on-coming carriage. "Finally! They made us wait a whole five minutes! I usually execute people who make me wait that long."

"…"

"Ha! Ha! I'm just kidding, Link! What happened to your sense of humor?"

"What do you know about humor? You talk about killing people!" Link replied angrily.

"I know a lot about humor! I used to be a comedian back in the day. Everyone loved my jokes! They said I was the funniest man in all of Hyrule. Then they elected me King of Hyrule!" he laughed. "Oh, the memories."

"I thought you became king because your father was king," Link sighed.

"Oh, yeah. You're right. I forgot. I was never elected king; that was a dream I had one night."

Link threw his arms in the air in defeat. The man was impossible.

"You!" Ruto stammered as she stomped toward the king. "You are the most disgusting man ever! Why would you do something like that! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Now now. Why does everyone take things so seriously? There's no need to get your fins in a knot."

"Where's Darunia?" asked Link.

"Nabooru kicked him out of the carriage," Saria replied casually like people get kicked out of carriages every day.

"She what!"

"It was either my sense of sight or his rocky ass!" Nabooru stated defensively.

Link rubbed his forehead. "I don't believe this."

"It'll be all right, Link. You shouldn't stress yourself too much," Zelda cooed.

"That's easy for you to say! You don't have to worry about the next challenge!" Ruto screamed out in frustration. "Now I don't have a partner because this woman kicked him out of the damn carriage!"

"You should apologize Mrs. Ganondorf for killing Ruto's partner. That's the decent thing to do, and it'll make everything better." the king shook his head in disappointment.

"It's your fault! If you wouldn't have taped that ugly picture of yourself in our carriage, maybe I would not have had to sacrifice Darunia! And stop calling me Mrs. Ganondorf!" Nabooru raised her fist to strike the king but was stopped by Link.

"Excuse me? For your information, many women tell me I'm very attractive," the king said proudly.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Don't make me laugh! Those women must have been blind!" Nabooru held her sides laughing.

"I understand, Nabooru. After your rough relationship with Ganondorf, you're having a hard time moving on. I mean, after all, when the only man who will ever date you is the King of Evil, it's hard to find other men attractive," the king smirked, feeling that he had won the argument.

"Why you!" Nabooru struggled to escape Link's strong grasp. "Let me go, Link! I'm going to teach that idiot a lesson!"

"Nabooru," Link felt his body being slowly dragged by Nabooru's strength. No matter how much he would have loved to see Nabooru give the king a couple of black eyes, he knew that if he allowed her to do such, everyone would suffer from the king's wrath. That was something Link did not want to face. "Calm down!"

The king hid behind Impa. "Yeah Nabooru! Calm down! You need to learn how to control your temper."

Ruto sighed, turning her attention toward the horizon. That was when she noticed a familiar figure walking toward them. "Darunia! Oh Din! He's alive!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and drew their attention toward the fatigued Goron. He narrowed his eyes at the Gerudo who had kicked him out of the moving carriage. "I hate you…"

"Good to see you're still alive! I thought you were a goner for sure," Nabooru casually fixed her shuffled clothes.

"Now that everyone is here, we should begin the next challenge," the king spoke up. "There is a trail we must walk before we can reach the next course, but it should not take too long to reach our destination. Let's not waste anymore time. I'm ready to send two people home."

The group reluctantly followed the king to the next area. Whatever they had on their mind at that moment was tossed away with a new worry--the fear that they may be the next one eliminated. Link turned around and faced Malon who was walking near the back of the group. She nervously held her hands in one another. Link smiled in a small effort to try to easy her fear. She smiled back, feeling more confident than before. Link believed in her and so did she.

Meanwhile somewhere in Hyrule…

A man was taking his usual run through the fields of Hyrule. He bobbed his head to the beat of his humming as he minded his own business. Looking down he noticed a piece of paper caught in the wind's current. Curious, the man grabbed the piece of paper. "Hmm, I wonder what this is."

As soon as his eyes grasped the figure on the paper, his hand released the picture and allowed the wind to take it away. The jogger dropped to his knees. "I… I've been blinded! Why? What did I do to deserve this?"

**Notes: **I'm back! Thank you everyone for the reviews!


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

Malon closed her eyes as she walked, letting her feet guide her to her destination. The supposedly simple walk over the hill the king had arranged was not as simple as he had said. The king said it was only because there were no trails for the carriages, and that she and the others had no choice but to walk. The trail seemed to go on forever. Malon wiped the sweat forming from her brow. The heat was not making the walk any easier on them.

_"Even if I made it to the next arena, I'll be in no shape to compete. I'm already tired from walking so long," _Malon thought as she shielded her eyes from the sun.

The king marched in front of the group with a small skip in his walk. He watched as the exhaustion drain away the remainder of their energy. He sighed, shaking his head in discontent. "It's just a little further if you ladies and gentlemen can keep up with me."

"Will we be able to take a small break when we arrive? My legs hurt," Saria whimpered, stopping in the middle of her tracks to take a quick break.

The king shook his head. "There is no more time to be wasted on breaks. If you don't think you can make it to the next area then you should just drop out of the competition now."

Before Saria could reply Link lifted the weary girl and placed her securely on his shoulders. Saria giggled, taking Link's favorite hat and placing it on her head. "Thanks Link! I didn't think I would make it much further."

"Wait," Ruto dragged her feet slowly across the dirt trail, "for me!"

"I don't think she's going to make it. You know Zoras aren't immune to the heat," Nabooru pointed out. "I think we should find a creek or something before she passes out and rots. Rotting fish isn't the most pleasant smell in the world, you know."

"No! We have been stalling too much. She made it this far. I'm sure she can last a little longer," the agitated king replied.

"I don't know about that," Darunia faced his dehydrated partner who supported herself with a walking stick she had found on the trail. "I think the heat is really taking its toll on her. She shouldn't be exposed to this kind of weather for this long."

The king ignored Darunia's comment. There was no time to delay anymore. The king needed to finish the competition before the festival otherwise his plans would be ruined. He was not one to fall behind schedule; however, this time things were not going as planned.

Darunia quirked an eyebrow. He knew the king was preoccupied with the competition. As fellow leaders in Hyrule the two had conferred together many times before. Darunia shook his head. The king was not necessarily a bad guy though some thought otherwise. He was simply a man with a different agenda when it came to certain things. Darunia painstakingly thought over the past events. After the conversation with Link, the Goron leader could not help but feel like a pawn in the king's plan. Perhaps all the Sages were unknowingly pawns.

Darunia was jerked from his thoughts when Ruto collapsed from exhaustion. The group quickly rushed to her aid. "Is she going to be all right?" he asked.

"Not if we don't find water soon," explained Impa.

"We're almost there everyone. There's a stream at our destination," the king said without facing the group. "We should arrive soon if there are no more setbacks."

Darunia sighed, hoisting the fragile princess into his arms. If anything were to happen to his partner he would be out of luck. _"It's not that I like her or anything. I just have to make sure she's able to compete. I can't lose now without knowing the real reason behind this whole competition," _he looked at his _brother_, _"What kind of friend would I be if I let Link fall into whatever trap the king is planning?"_

* * *

The word 'soon' to the king had different meaning. The group traveled down the trail for another half hour until they finally reached their destination. A wave of relief washed over the exhausted party. The king smiled proudly; he had lead his group to their target in one piece--or at least--most of his group.

Darunia placed Ruto next to the small stream of water. Zelda dunked her hands into the flowing water, letting it sip through her fingers and onto Ruto's tired face. The Zora princess shifted uncomfortably until she opened her eyes. "Oh man, I thought I was going to die," she sat up rubbing her head.

"You almost didn't make it," said Impa with little emotion.

The king chuckled loudly. "Now I hope everyone is well enough for our next little game. I don't want someone else passing out on me because they can't handle it."

Link placed Saria safely on her feet. He rolled his shoulders some to rid the numbness. "Hey," he said in his best attempt to sound serious albeit jokingly. "Are you going to give me back my hat?"

Saria pouted. "Aw! I thought I could keep it."

Link laughed, taking the hat off the smaller girl's head and returning it to its rightful place. He didn't have the heart to tell little Saria she wore a hat that was once covered with boogers. "Nope. It's mine."

Malon watched Link from her seat in the meadow. She could not help but giggle at the sight of Link playing with Saria. She closed her eyes, picturing when Link and she were children. A smiled curved on her lips. He had not changed one bit. Well, he did grow up to be a very attractive man, Malon thought.

"Stop thinking about him like that!" slapping her forehead, she cursed herself out loud.

"Stop thinking of who like that?" asked Link from behind, taking a seat next to the red-haired girl.

"Link!" Malon shrieked.

"Oh," he grinned. "So you were thinking naughty thoughts about me?"

"W-what! No! No I wasn't!" she crossed her arms defensively.

He laughed. "Right. I believe you."

"Are you two flirting?" the king yelled from across the stream. "There will be no flirting with the contestants Link! That's a big no-no!" he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms stubbornly. "I'll have to disqualify her next time I catch you being unfair to the others."

Link quickly stood up. "N-No. We weren't flirting!" he rummaged through his mind for a good lie. He never liked lying but sometimes he found it helpful in sticky situations like the one he was in. "I… I was telling Malon that she… uh… She stepped in dog poo."

"What?" Malon checked her boots.

"Oh. Well if that's the case then everything is okay," the king laughed. "You better watch where you're walking next time, Malon."

"Great excuse Link," Malon replied sarcastically.

"Why thank you. It took me two seconds to think of it," he smiled before taking his leave.

Malon shook her head with a tiny smile tugging at her lips. She knew the answer to the question she continually asked herself; Why was she in the competition? She scoffed slightly. It was almost as clear as day. But why did she deny the truth? Malon pouted slightly upon returning her attention to her object of admiration. _"This is ridiculous. Do I really have to lower myself to this level just for him to notice me?"_

The king watched Malon as if she were a criminal in prison. _"A thorn in the plans… No need to worry though. She will not become a hindrance. Although the boss believes she may cause Link to change his mind… And we certainly can't have Link thinking that.."_

Malon, feeling someone staring at her, turned her head toward the king staring blatantly at her. She lowered her eyes from his intent gaze. Something wasn't right. Before Malon could react the king had turned away from her. Biting her lip, Malon tried to focus on something other than the king but to no avail. _"I have a feeling I know what he's thinking,"_ an exasperated Malon thought. _"And I have a feeling I'll need to be more careful, too."_

The king threw his hands into the air. "All right! I've given you time to relax. You ought to be grateful; I didn't have to do so," he shook his head, grinning like a wild man. "It's time to reveal my baby project. Follow me."

"We have to walk more!" exclaimed an almost delusional Ruto. "I was barely able to catch my breath!"

The king scoffed. "How will you be able to compete if you claim to be so fragile? And no, we do not have to walk another few miles. The course is right over there," the old man lifted his portly finger in the course's direction. He smiled wickedly; the course was made to be flawless.

From a distance the group heard flowing water emanating from the general direction to which the king had pointed at. The first theory was that the flowing water was from a waterfall. As the group approached their destination they soon discovered where they had been led to--they were at the top of a small forgotten canyon near the Gerudo valley.

The king stopped and swiftly turned his body facing the surprised group. "Welcome to the obstacle course. It's a beautiful area, is it not? Don't get side-tracked by the scenery while you're in action though."

It was a small narrow chasm with steep cliff walls that were cut into the earth by running waters. The group's theory was correct; the source of the water was from a small but rapidly flowing waterfall. There was a small path leading toward the other side of the canyon; however, the course was set off by sections that consisted of many small and feeble rock pillars set with colored flags.

Saria ran toward the edge of the cliff and looked down at the ravage waters below. "It looks really dangerous. The water is flowing really fast, and the pillars don't look like they can support anyone without having some kind of trouble."

"Ah, well, it's all just a challenge," the king shrugged his shoulders uncaringly. "Each group will have to collect as many flags as they possibly can within the ten minute time limit. You will have to figure out a good way of balancing not only yourself but your partner as well. Like Saria said, the pillars are not too strong. I don't know if it can even hold one person," the king laughs were met with angry glares from his competitors. "Ahem. As I was saying, the group who collects the most flags win, but your flags will only count if you make it to the other side. If your partner falls in the water but you make it to the other side, the flags you hold in your hands will be the only to qualify. But of course, you need to make sure you help each other because all flags are precious if you want to win."

"So basically," Ruto said as she studied the course, "you want us to put our lives in danger to collect flags twenty feet above the ravage river?"

"Exactly!" the king said proudly.

"Oh. Okay I was just checking," Ruto replied sarcastically.

Link crossed his arms. The wind was blowing fiercely on top of the grassy canyon. _"Even if the pillars were sturdy the wind is enough to knock even the strongest warrior off his feet. I admit the king picked a very challenging area for this contest, but…"_

It was not as if the king had not thrown the girls into a dangerous situation before. Many of the games before were considered extremely dangerous and crazy. However, this course topped the list of the most dangerous and ridiculous courses ever created by the king. Link was worried beyond belief. _"Even those flags look like they're about to fly away with the wind."_

"Is everyone ready?" the king asked in reassurance. He was obviously ready to finish the course already.

"No, I can't do this," said an uncharacteristic Darunia. The Goron was never fearful of dangerous situations, and he always proved successful in even the most dangerous situations. However the coyness from his voice proved otherwise.

"What do you mean you can't do this? You have to! If you don't then I'll be out of the competition as well!" shouted Ruto in disbelief.

"Unlike you Zoras, Gorons sink like a rock in water. And those pillars are already having trouble standing because of the gusts, and they're too small for me to even stand on," said Darunia in a stubborn manner.

"Where's that I-want-to-win attitude?" said the king optimistically.

"Who said I wanted to win this thing?" mumbled Darunia under his breath.

The king narrowed his eyes. _"I can see Darunia has forgotten our deal."_

"Darunia," Ruto began in a sincere voice, "I promise I won't let you fall in the water. And if you do, I'll come after you. I may not look like much, but I've carried heavier in the water before."

"Yes. Besides, you can't give up now. Think of your fellow Gorons! How would they feel knowing their leader failed them?" the king said with a haughty grin.

Darunia uncrossed his arms. The king acted like a fool but that was only a façade, and only Darunia saw it. The Goron leader had prayed the king had forgotten the pact they had made but it appeared as if the king had a better memory than Darunia thought. He knew if he failed to compete he would let his entire clan down. Sighing loudly, Darunia shook his head. "All right. I'll do it."

Malon cast her glaring eyes at the king. _"What an evil man. Darunia… He's only in this competition to save his people. He even had to cast aside his pride and embarrass himself by acting like a fool before everyone near the beginning of this competition. And now this…And me, why won't I stand up and do something? Am I too frightened to say anything? I have to before it's too late…"_

Remembering what she had read in the king's office Malon worriedly bit her lower lip. Her conscience was telling her she had to do something to help but she was powerless against the king. She knew telling Link what was going on would end everything. However, there was something inside of her that wanted to solve this by herself. Solving the crisis herself would gain Link's attention, respect, and possibly even impress the hero, too.

But she knew it was wrong to say and do nothing as people suffered before her.

"What am I thinking? This is not the time to be thinking about being a heroine."

"Now if there are no further delays I would like to start this competition. Is everyone ready with their partner?" the king impatiently placed his hands on his wide hips. "Everyone has been designated a color meaning only your team's color will count in the final number. Saria and Impa, you have assigned green. Darunia and Ruto, you have been assigned blue. And Nabooru and Malon, you've been assigned red."

With another quick glance the group studied the wavering flags. Malon fought back the knot forming in her throat. _"Once I make it passed this obstacle, I'll have to tell Link. He needs to know. We can end this… But, then what will become of me…? Does that mean I will have to return home alone…? I…"_

"Go!"

Caught off guard, the entire group hesitated momentarily until they realized what they had to do. Nabooru was first to jump onto one of the pillars with cat-like grace; it shook slightly as it adjusted to her weight. Nabooru, happy that the pillar did not crumble, sighed inwardly. She turned her attention toward her partner and waved for her to follow. "Just follow me and pick up as many flags you can. And don't rush yourself to catch up with me or you might fall."

Malon nodded and slowly approached the canyon's edge. She lifted one leg and cautiously placed it on the pillar before pulling her entire body onto it. She expanded her arms on each side to keep her balance. She slowly knelt down and picked up a red flag and tucked it securely in her dress. She looked forward to the other side of the course. Malon gulped nervously as she took in its distance.

It was going to be the longest ten minutes of her life.

_

* * *

_

On the other side of the course Link and the king watched on as the girls and Darunia clung to the pillars for dear life. The king shook his head and laughed as Darunia ungracefully leaped to one pillar to the other. "That Goron, he's a riot. Ha! Ha!"

Link narrowed his eyes. "Speaking of Darunia, how were you able to convince him to participate?"

The king stopped laughing and turned his head away from Link. "What do you mean? He wanted to be in this competition so I allowed him to participate."

"I know Darunia better than that. That's uncharacteristic of him," said Link. He knew his interrogation was making the king nervous.

The king shifted his weight. "Maybe you don't know them like you think you do. Are you implying that I'm lying to you?"

"I didn't say that. I was just asking a question. Darunia and I are good friends. Why would he join a competition to become my _wife_? It doesn't make any sense," Link said defensively. The king was trying to turn the tide in the conversation.

"Does it really matter? Everyone has there on purpose for being here," he paused, thinking of what to say next. "Why do you think that red-headed girl is here for? Definitely not for the food," the king narrowed his eyes. "She wants to be your wife, too."

Link lowered his head. _"No, not Malon. She said she was here because she was tricked into the competition. I know Malon better than that; she would never lower herself for something like this."_

There was an awkward silence between the two. Zelda watched the two from behind apprehensively. She did not understand what they were talking about and decided she should say something to solve the problem. She shook her head and cleared her throat. "I think this is not the time to discuss such things. Perhaps you should ask Darunia why he is here yourself, Link."

The king's eyes widened. He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Ah! I don't think that's a good idea Zelda. You know how Gorons are when you interrogate them. They go crazy!"

"What are you talking about? You have been acting different lately. Is everything okay?" asked Zelda concernedly.

"Yeah, it's like you're hiding something from us," Link turned away from the king, grinning ear to ear.

"…We're missing the competition. Enough of this talk!" the king walked away with nonexistent smoke emanating from his ears. _"Perhaps putting that Goron in this competition wasn't such a good idea. But the boss said for me to do it. I wonder why. Maybe I should ask once I return to the castle."_

* * *

Darunia grabbed each side of the column, digging his fingers into the huge rock in fear he may lose balance. Ruto, who was already three pillars ahead of the Goron, seized another flag to add to their collection. She turned back toward her partner and sighed. "Darunia, you haven't even collected any flags yet. Are you just going to stay on that one pillar or what?"

Darunia grumbled. "You don't understand. You're as light as a feather. The pillars won't crumble under your weight."

"Darunia, these pillars are really sturdy. It's the pillars on the other side that are weak. You'll be fine. I can't collect all the flags by myself," Ruto shrugged. "I told you I wouldn't let you drown. You're going to have to get to the other side eventually anyway. Why not just make your away other there and picked up flags on the way?"

"Fine. But if anything happens to me I don't want to hear any yelling from your side," Darunia picked himself off the pillar and slowly pulled himself onto the next column.

Ruto smiled. "Thank you."

In the red-colored flag section Nabooru was already one step ahead of her partner. She tucked her flags safely in her belt as she leaped from one pillar to the next. She looked back at her cautious partner who had picked up many flags on the way as well. Malon jumped onto the next pillar almost slipping from the sudden movement of the column. She quickly fell to her knees and grabbed hold of the sides. Once the pillar stopped moving she grabbed the flag and stood to her feet.

"Be careful. These pillars aren't as sturdy as the ones before," advised Nabooru.

Malon nodded as she took hold of another flag. "All right. Should I take the same path as you are go around those?"

"The pillars I took were strong enough to hold me. I believe you'll be okay," she said as she carelessly jumped onto another pillar.

On the far end of the course were Impa and Saria. Impa, like Nabooru, was one step ahead of her partner as well. However, Impa stayed within reach of her partner for she was not able to jump as far as the Sheikah.

"I got another one!" exclaimed Saria as she came to another pillar. Impa smiled and pulled the smaller girl onto the next pillar. The Sheikah was as agile as any Gerudo and the course prove no challenge for her. "How many do you have, Impa?" asked Saria as she stuffed her collection into her pockets.

"Enough," replied Impa casually. "Be careful. The wind is picking up, and these pillars are not as sturdy as the ones we've already passed."

"Ah!" came a cry from the opposite end of the course where the wind was strongest.

Nabooru grabbed hold of the sides as she waited for the wind to die down. However the wind seemed to be picking up consistently as the group progressed. The pillars on all sides began swaying back and forth, halting any movement from any of the teams. The Gerudo thief drew her interest toward her struggling partner, hanging onto the weakening pillar with all her strength. "Malon, hang on! The wind should die down soon!"

Malon, unable to hear the Gerudo due to the howling winds, closed her eyes tightly. _"This wind… This can't be natural! I don't know if this pillar will hold out any longer."_

"Ruto," Darunia pulled himself into a sitting position. Fortunately, he was heavy enough so that the winds could not blow him away. "What is with this wind! Why is it so strong all of a sudden?"

Ruto covered her face from the dust flying. Her feet kept sliding with each gust. "Ah! Darunia!" Ruto screamed as she lost her footing on her pillar causing the wind to carry her back. Thankfully, Darunia was on the pillar behind her and caught the Zora princess with ease.

"Are you okay, Ruto?" he managed to spit out before the wind prohibited him to say another word.

Darunia was the only one able to make it to the other side without fear of the wind blowing him back. His only fear was that the pillars could collapse at any moment. He shook away the thought and forcing his weight through the wind's strong blows.

"Impa!" Saria cried out as the flags flew away from her grasp. "The flags! They're gone!"

Impa jumped vigilantly toward her green-haired partner, wrapping her into her arms. "That's not important. We need to get to the other side quickly before these pillars give away!"

* * *

"Those pillars aren't going to make it! The wind is going to knock them over!" Zelda exclaimed as she tried to fight the wind herself. "We have to do something!"

"Hmm. I wonder why the wind is so strong today," the king pondered, holding on to his crown closely.

Link planted his hands on his head to hold down his hat that wanted to flee with the wind. His eyes were locked on the feeble posts that the girls struggled to embrace. _"I heard the winds on top of this canyon were famous for being strong but there is no way this is natural. Is the king doing this or is there something else going on I don't know about?"_

Link did not have time to become lost in thoughts. "No! The pillars!"

* * *

The frail columns rocked back and forth violently as if they were trees in a hurricane. Malon gripped the column she was kneeling on tighter. Afraid to look up she buried her head in the surface of the pillar. _"This pillar isn't going to last too much longer. I can already hear the others crumbling."_

"Malon!"

Malon gasped, looking in the direction she heard her name called from. It was Nabooru who was safely on the other side with Darunia, Impa, and Saria. Although faint, Malon made out the words the Gerudo was screaming at her. "You have to jump! That pillar is about to give out any moment!"

Mustering all the strength she had inside herself, Malon dove from the dying pillar onto one that remained fairly intact. She wiped the sweat forming from her brow. The pillars leading to the safe haven were allowing the wind to finish them. Malon bit her lower lip. She knew it was either stay on the pillar she was on and possibly fall into the river below or try to make it to the other side.

Without further thoughts Malon leaped onto the next pillar. She paused to catch her breath before leaping onto the next pillar. _"I'm almost there!"_

She was one pillar away from reaching her destination. She took one last jump onto the pillar in front of her. However, already weakened from the wind, the pillar crumbled immediately under Malon's weight. The only thing she could do at that moment was to scream as she fell into the ravage waters below.

"MALON!"

Without hesitating, Link pushed the king aside and dove into the water after her.

"Damn!" the king cursed under his breath. "What is he thinking?"

"Link!" Zelda ran toward the canyon's edge and searched the hungry waters below. "I don't see them!"


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

He didn't know what he was thinking when he dove off the canyon. It never even crossed his mind that it was dangerous. At that moment all thoughts vanished from his mind except for one--Malon. _"I'm coming Malon," _thought Link as his body met the cold waters. Gasping, Link forced his head above the water only to be met with several on-coming waves. He struggled to keep his head from being submerged by the powerful waves. He lost control of all movements and allowed the river to carry him away. _"Damn! How can I save Malon if I can't even save myself?"_

Link looked around the ravine for anything to grab hold of. It was then that he noticed a feeble branch sticking out. And on that branch was a desperate girl clinging on for dear life. "Malon!" Link shouted as he drew closer to his destination, grabbing hold of the free side of the branch. He was face-to-face with Malon who was too shocked to say anything. He took a moment to catch his breath before he spoke. "Are you okay? I'm going to get you out of here!"

"A-All right..."

Then the worst possible scenario happened--the branch snapped.

Link and Malon where thrown into the hungry waters again but this time they were together. "Malon! Take my hand!" he instructed as he struggled to reach for her timid hand.

Malon nodded and grabbed Link's hand. A warm feeling of security overwhelmed her despite the fact she was being thrown around in the water like a rag doll. She knew that as long as she was with Link everything was okay. "Link! I'm scared!" she yelled before another wave crashed into her.

"It'll be all right! Whatever you do, don't let go of my hand!"

If he had been anyone else he would have been plagued with fear and panic. However, he had been in worse situations before, and he had learned from trial and error that fear helped very little. He forced himself to stay calm, if not for himself, then for Malon. It would have only frightened her more if she had seen Link alarmed.

There were no signs of the river easing up on them. It began flowing faster and the waves became more violent with each passing moment. The familiar sound of a waterfall became louder and louder until Link and Malon had no doubt in their mind that there was one awaiting them.

"Link!"

"Don't let go of my hand!"

And without warning the two were caught in a roaring cascade of piercing water. Malon saw the surface below becoming closer and closer. Closing her eyes she gripped Link's hand so tight that both of them felt as if their circulation was being cut off. And then suddenly they crashed into the bitter water below.

But she never let go of his hand.

* * *

The king paced back and forth nervously. Link was not supposed to go after the girl; it was her time to return home. The king milled his fist into his desk. Link was not supposed to fall in love with another girl. The plan was crumbling before him, and soon, the king knew he would have to tell Link the truth--the real reason behind the competition. 

There was a light knock at the door. "Sir, Saria has returned safely to the forest," said one of the king's faithful servants.

"That's good," he paused. "Is there any word on Link? Has the search team found him yet?"

"No Your Majesty. They are still investigating the area. Once I receive word from them I will let you know immediately," he replied grimly.

"I see. You're dismissed."

The king turned his back toward the door and stared out the window. _"What am I doing? Have I really gone that far to bring happiness to my daughter? My wife would be ashamed of me if she were still here…"_

* * *

It felt like she had crashed through a sheet of ice. The water pierced her body like tiny needles until she became numb. Once she hit the water she had lost all consciousness. It was dark and silent except for the sound of dripping water. Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound was annoying, but at the same time, it was comforting. She knew, despite its bothersome sound, she was alive and well. 

"Ugh," she groaned, fluttering her eyes open for the first time. The first thing she noticed was her location. No longer was she fighting for her life in a roaring river. She was alone in a dark cavern. _"Where is Link? Why isn't he here?"_

Malon pulled herself into a sitting position. She cried out from the sudden poignant sting poking at her side. _"I must have hurt myself…"_

"Ah, you're awake now."

Malon jumped slightly. She turned her head to meet his. "Link! I was so worried about you!"

Despite the pain she felt, she bolted toward Link and wrapped her arms around him. She had feared he had perished in the brutal waves. A surge of relief washed over her. Malon reluctantly pulled herself away from Link but kept her hands on his shoulders. "You had me so scared!"

"I'm sorry. I just went to get some wood so I could light a fire," he said with a half-smile. "It's too dark in here for my liking."

"I see," her voice trailed off.

Link walked toward the middle of the cavern and placed his small collection of sticks into a safe pile. He pulled out Din's Fire and cast a small fire upon the pile. Once the fire sparked he stood up, nodding his head as if in satisfaction. He wiped his hands together and turned toward his red-headed friend. It was at that moment Malon noticed his condition, which was not any better than hers. His tunic was tattered and ripped. There was dried blood and bruises on his arms and face. Malon assumed it was from the rocks that jutted out from the river. He had taken the brute of the lashings the river had given them. How he was still standing was a wonder to Malon.

Link quirked an eyebrow as he caught Malon's watchful eye. "What's wrong?"

"Are you okay? You look terrible."

"Gee, thanks."

Malon didn't know whether to laugh or frown at his remark. "You know what I meant by that."

"I know. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I've endured worse than this," said Link with a shrug. He was not one to worry over his injury as much. It was Malon's injuries that worried him more. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm a little sore. Other than that, I'm fine. At least we survived, right?"

Link nodded in confirmation and took her word. He made a mental note to check on her injuries again later. There was another concern on his mind at the moment. Link scratched his neck nervously. "You should take your clothes off."

Malon's eyes widened. "E-excuse me?"

A moment of silence passed before Link realized how it had came out. "Oh! No-no! I didn't mean that in a bad way," the dim lighting hid his face which had exploded with every shade of red. "I meant that you'll get sick if you stay in those wet clothes. We can set them outside and let them dry."

Malon, still dazed from his statement, looked away. Link had a point. In the state she was in at the moment, becoming ill was the last thing she wanted to befall upon her. Malon studied her attire. Her dress, white and all, wrapped tightly around her figure and torn in all the wrong places, showing Link more than she wanted him to see. She sighed, turning her attention back to Link. "I suppose you're right. The last thing I want is to become sick."

Link cleared his throat. "Well, I'll go sit outside until everything is dry."

"You'll be sitting out there forever," Malon stated bluntly. "And besides, your tunic is wet, too. I don't want you catching a cold or anything either."

"I'm not worried about myself."

"Well, I am!"

There was another moment of awkward silence between them.

"I'll have to take off everything…" he said quietly.

"At least it's better than sitting in wet clothes! That's just asking to get ill!" she lectured.

Link crossed his arms and sighed inwardly. Malon had a point, too. What good would it do if he became sick? He would not be able to care for Malon; she would be the one taking care of him. "Fine. We'll both become ill if he stay in these clothes. I guess we'll have a strip party," he laughed, trying to ease the tension with a joke.

Malon only scowled at his remark but quickly disregarded it.

The two stood across from each other with the small fire between them. The silence had once again become their enemy. Malon wrapped her arms behind her and looked down at her feet. "All right," she said solemnly before returning her eyes to Link. "Please don't look."

Link nodded and turned away. He looked at his soaked tunic. He even felt water in his boots. He kicked off his shoes, careful not to kick them into the fire. Studying his tunic again for a brief moment he pulled it off and tossed it next to his boots. Knowing the next thing he would pull off would leave him completely nude, he hesitated with his tights. _"Maybe I should leave these on… They're not that wet."_

"Malon," Link began, "are you finished?"

"Yes…"

"I promise I won't look. I'm just going to set our clothes outside so the wind can dry them," he said, walking backwards slowly and picking up their clothes.

Malon nodded. "All right."

Link did as he said and quickly placed the clothes on the ground outside in an orderly fashion. The cold breeze nipped at his bare chest. "Gah… This is turning out to be a really bad day," he said before running back inside the cavern where the warm fire awaited him.

It was then that he noticed his partner with her knees drawn to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. Her long hair, still damp, wrapped around her face and down her chest. She was stripped down to her under garments much like Link. Her head uncomfortably rested on her knees. Link cleared his throat. It was not the appropriate time to think of Malon _that_ way.

Link sat down near the fire across from Malon. "Ah. I feel warmer already," he said with a laugh.

Malon blushed, lifting her head slightly to look at Link. "Link?"

"Yeah? What's wrong?"

"What happened after we fell from the waterfall?" she asked curiously.

Link thought for a moment. "After we crashed into the water we both hit the rocks at the bottom. Thankfully the water eased our fall so it wasn't as bad as it could have been," he paused. "When I came to the surface, you were already unconscious. I noticed a cavern behind the waterfall so I decided we should stay here until we can venture out ourselves."

"Do you think they'll come for us?" Malon shifted slightly.

"I would like to think so. If they don't, I guess they'll proclaim us dead and we could run off together, right?" he said jokingly.

Malon laughed. "That would be great. I hope they don't come for us now!"

"Yeah… It would be nice," he mumbled quietly that Malon did not hear. He sighed inwardly and drew his attention to Malon. She was still the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes upon even when she was covered from head to toe with bruises and scrapes. Link shook his head. _"Oh c'mon. Stop that! Now is not the time to be thinking like this. I've got to get us out of here."_

"Link?"

He smiled. "Yeah? Are you feeling okay? You took a beating."

"Yes, I'm fine. Are you okay? You look like you took more than I did," she asked again, wanting him to reassure he was well.

"Yeah, I'm kind of used to this stuff."

The two sat quietly for moments till end and watched the embers of the fire dance on top of the sticks. Malon was at lost for words as was Link. It was an awkward situation for the two. Neither of the two wanted to mention anything about the competition; it was a subject they wanted to forget given their current situation. Malon rubbed her arm gently. Link had prevented as much harm to her as he could. A smile curved on her lips. He was her savior again.

The silence was discomforting. Malon glanced at Link gingerly. He seemed lost in thought. Her eyes lowered toward his companion, the Master Sword, the sword that marked Link as a hero. Turning her gaze back to Link, her lips finally opened to produce words.

"Do you like being a 'hero' and all?" she asked suddenly, taking Link aback.

Link looked down at the Master Sword which rested close to him for safety measures. He could not picture a time without it. He shook his head. "I suppose it has its ups and downs. I mean, some one has to do it, right?"

"Well, yeah. I suppose you are right. But if you had a choice would you do it?"

He was quiet for a fleeting moment. "Yes, if it would prevent anything from harming you."

Malon smiled, burying her face into her knees to hide her pink cheeks. Did Link really say what she thought he had said? Malon shook her head. Link was always quick to say something sweet like that to her. How was she supposed to know if what he said were true or not? Malon quickly shook that thought from her mind.

"You've always protected me ever since I can remember. Whenever I'm in a fix, you've saved me. I should thank you," Malon said, smiling.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm just doing my job."

Her smile faded considerably. "Yes… It's your _job_."

And then they returned to silence.

* * *

The king gazed out the window; his eyes fixated on the fleeting birds outside. Regret had lodged its home inside the older man. He shook his head, trying to lose the feelings that burdened his conscience. He coughed roughly, covering his mouth with his free hand. How much longer would he live? _It _was taking its toll on his health gradually. 

"Are you well?" said a mysterious voice from behind.

Without turning toward the voice's direction, he replied. "You of all people should know that answer."

"Your health is deteriorating. Is this competition really worth your health? You have been pushing yourself too far. It's time to end this," the voice scolded softly.

"To bring happiness to my daughter… it's worth every bit of it."

The voice scoffed. "_You daughter_ may care for Link, but it is painfully obvious Link does not love her. It is time to end this foolish game. We cannot force Link into marrying someone whom he does not love. How much longer to do plan to play this game? How much longer will they be pawns in _your_ game?"

"If I remember correctly, _Boss_, you were the one who initiated this idea. _You_ were the one who wanted this to happen," the king replied solemnly.

"Perhaps I was too blind to see the truth."

"Perhaps I am the blind one. Repentance awaits you, but for me, I believe forgiveness will not be so easy for me to find," said the king, turning toward the mysterious figure. "Unfortunately, we are too deep with the plans. I will see my daughter happy and my kingdom safe, even if it takes my life."

"How will your daughter be happy if she is married to someone who does not love her?"

"Maybe Link will learn to love her."

The mysterious figure scoffed harshly, turning away from the king. "And perhaps there will be nothing but pain in the end," the voice said before leaving the room.

* * *

Hours had passed and the small fire had died down as well. Their clothes had completely dried, and Link and Malon were fully dressed again. Although the two were weary, the cave had grown cold and the sun had begun to take its leave. They would have to return to the castle soon. 

Link turned toward Malon who was warming her hands on the dying flames. "Mal, I think we should leave now. The night will be too cold for us, and it's too dangerous to stay here."

"But it's too dangerous to venture out! There are monsters everywhere!" she protested vigorously.

"They'll be no threat to us. The Master Sword alone is enough to kill them," he replied acutely. Malon lowered her head. The tone of voice… The look in his eyes… For as long as she had known him, she had a knack at telling when he was serious. When danger arose Link had always depicted that look on his face. Was it because of bravery or was it because of fear?

What really motivated Link to face danger with no regrets? Malon could not answer that question. Perhaps there was no real answer. Maybe he really was just doing his _job_; his job to protect the kingdom and people he had come to love--the kingdom that had become his home, and the people who had become his family.

"'Yes, if it would prevent anything from harming you.'"

His words flashed in her mind.

Closing her eyes she shook her head with a smile. There was nothing for her to fear as long as Link was by her side--he would protect her. He always protected her.

After all, it was his job to protect the people of Hyrule, wasn't it? Or was there another reason?

"Are you ready to go? We might be able to make it before nightfall if we hurry," he said, extending his hand to her.

"Are you sure you know the way to the castle? We've traveled a long way from it."

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing," he smiled. "Now, are you ready to get out of here?"

She took his hand. "Yes… I'm ready."

With a nod of the head Link pulled Malon into a standing position and exited the cavern. The sun barely showed itself from the horizon. The cavern was no longer safe. Link felt the presence of sleepless monsters nearby. Was it any safer outside the cavern? No. Monsters roamed the lands at nightfall searching for prey. It wasn't safe anywhere. Link shook his head. Did the king really forget about Malon and him?

There was no time for questions; Link knew that. He had to guide Malon and himself back to the castle before nightfall. It was not so much of a problem. Link knew he was strong enough to fight the creatures single-handedly. However, the fact that Malon was with him made him tense.

"All right. Stay close to me," he said genuinely and led her outside the cavern. She nodded, gripping his hand tighter. Link glanced up toward the sky. The sun would depart shortly. They didn't have much time left.

Link guided Malon through the small path leading out from under the waterfall. They walked along the riverbank without delay until they reached a small lake where the water stopped. The lake split into three smaller streams that deposited water throughout Hyrule. One of the streams would lead the two toward the castle. The problem was specifying which one it was.

Link wrapped his hand under his chin. He knew he had to be hastily about choosing the correct path. He turned to Malon and grinned. "How good is your 'gut feeling'?"

Malon quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

"What path do you think we should take?" asked Link.

"I don't know."

Link sighed. "Well, I'm just as clueless as you are. What do you think we should do?"

""Iny, Meeny, Miny, Mo?"

"…"

Malon laughed nervously. "Just a suggestion."

"I guess we'll just have to pick one," Link examined the possible trails again. "Let's continue going down the right path. If we don't find the castle, maybe we'll find shelter for the night."

Malon nodded and followed closely behind Link. After a few hours the sunlight dispersed considerably and the two were left wandering in the dark with no clue to guide them. Malon had become more nervous upon hearing the howls of the newly awakened monsters in the nearby forests. Link kept one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other hand wrapped around Malon's trembling hand.

"How much further do we have to travel?" asked a weary Malon from behind.

"I'm not sure. Do you think you can hold out?" Link answered, redirecting another question.

She nodded feebly. Truthfully, she was tired. Malon was not used to enduring strenuous activities like she had within the passed weeks. Sure, her chores were considered demanding to some, but compared to what she had gone through in just the passed few hours, she would rather be at home working from dawn to dusk than wandering through creepy forests at night.

"I'm sorry," Link suddenly exclaimed.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" she asked, confused.

"I'm sorry you have to go through all this… It's because of me and I… I'm sorry."

"Are you still blaming this whole competition on yourself?" she asked, her voice hinted slight annoyance.

He refused to answer.

"You need to stop blaming yourself for everything that happens. Why do you feel responsible for everything in the world? You're never going to be happy if you keep blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong," she admitted, looking down at her feet. "I had to learn the hard way."

"I wish things were that simple. But it really is my fault. I didn't have the courage to speak up."

"Ugh! This again! Didn't we have a talk about this before?" Malon said, stifling a giggle. "You need to learn to let things go. The past is the past."

"I guess you're right. Maybe this competition is a good thing," he said before turning silent.

_"I wonder what he means by that. Well, at least he's stopped blaming himself for this whole mess. The one thing we both need to concentrate on is getting out of these creepy forest,"_ Malon thought to herself.

They traveled together for what seemed like forever. The moon shun its grayish light as if it were guiding the two to safety. It and the stars were the only things that illuminated the night. Malon smiled again. The stars seemed to be fond of her and Link considering how many times they've came upon the dotted blanket in the sky.

She turned and glimpsed at the back of Link's head. How could he stay so calm? Was he staying calm so she would not have to worry? Malon glimpsed at his hand wrapped securely around hers. _"If you only knew how much just holding my hand meant to me."_

Suddenly Link stopped, allowing Malon to crash gracelessly into his back. Before Malon could ask what was wrong Link unsheathed the Master Sword. "Malon, stay close to me."

"Y-Yes," she stuttered nervously.

The familiar sound of rustling bushes swept through their ears. Link's grip on both the Master Sword and Malon's hand grew tighter. There was an eerie silence soon after. Malon's posture sunk slowly as she let her guard down but Link remained as tentative as ever.

It was then Link saw three emerging forms from the shadows. A gasp slipped passed Malon's lips. "Link! Stalfos! They're everywhere!"

Link cursed himself mentally for luring Malon and him into a trap. One Stalfos would not pose much of a threat. A whole group of angry Stalfos was almost too much even for the Hero of Time. "I think we've invaded their territory," he said gravely.

The Stalfos approached their targets slowly, raising their shields and swords for combat. One of the monsters jumped closer to Link and Malon, swinging its sword at a deathly speed. With quick reflexes Link pushed Malon out of harm's way and blocked the strike with his own. Link kicked the Stalfos away and struck the monster while still stunned. Recovering from the attack much quicker than Link expected, the monster circled around Link with its sword high in the air, ready for the next attack.

Link raised his shield and eyed the monster as well as the other two loomed around the battlefield. Malon had hurried behind a nearby rock for safety where she could watch Link battle from a safe distance. She bit her lower lip nervously. He seemed to have something bothering him.

"Link, behind you!" she yelled out as another Stalfos leaped toward him.

With great speed Link turned and blocked its attack with his shield and pushed the monster away, giving Link time to scramble to an opened area. As soon as he did the monsters followed like marionettes hanging on strings. Link grimaced, thinking of a way to defeat them quickly. At the same time the monsters were thinking the same thing. They formatted around him. Link narrowed his eyes and lifted his shield.

"I've led them away from Malon. Now I need to focus on defeating them…"

The first Stalfos did not hesitate to attack. Link quickly blocked its sword with his sword, allowing the ringing metal to echo throughout the forest. The Stalfos was stunned momentarily, but that was all it took for Link to leaped behind it and strike the death blow. The skeleton crumbled to the ground ineptly and turned to dust in a matter of mere seconds.

One down; two more to go.

Link focused his attention toward the looming Stalfos; its eyes flashed angrily. Link raised his sword to meet the enemy's, blocking the on-coming attack with an equal blow. The Stalfos paused and then attempted another slash. Link managed to side-stepped the attack, drawing his shield to block the next blow. The Stalfos jumped back and began standing in a defense stance while the other emerged behind Link. Cursing himself quietly Link dodged the first strike but was not as lucky with the second. He fell back gracelessly before jumping back to his feet.

It was then he noticed the Stalfos were no longer concerned with him.

"Malon! Run!" Link commanded, drawing his sword and running toward the two foes. _"I won't let them harm her!"_

Malon, petrified with fear, backed away slowly from her former safe-haven. The remaining Stalfos quickened their pace and raised their swords above their uncanny heads. Malon shook her head. _"Don't be afraid! Remember, I'll be okay… As long as Link is with me."_

The first Stalfos loomed over Malon's frail body with its sword readied. Malon backed away slowly, still in fright by her attackers. The monster released its strike; Malon clumsily dodged it. Fumbling to her feet she quickly rushed toward Link. "Malon," he began, "are you all right?"

Malon nodded. "I think I'm fine."

Link grimaced, handing Malon his shield. "Use this to protect yourself with."

"Link, I can't take your shield!" she protested.

"Just take it and find somewhere safe to hide! I'll be fine without it. I've had to fight Stalfos before; there's nothing to it." he snapped.

Malon reluctantly obeyed and searched for another safe area to hide. _"I feel so helpless. I wish I could do something to help him…"_

The Stalfos did not hesitate to attack the Hero of Time once more. Link, motivated by rage, charged at the Stalfos with an unprecedented speed, slashing right through the undead monster. It crumbled instantly like its fellow monster had earlier.

However victory was short-lived. The last Stalfos tackled Link from behind, slashing furiously at the unshielded man. Link attempted to block the attacks with his sword but was quickly disregarded once the sword flew out of his hands.

Link, now weaponless, kicked the Stalfos off of his weakened form, stunning the grim creature momentarily. Link wheezed, trying to catch his breath. He eyed his sword laying carelessly by the riverbank. He attempted to jump to it but the Stalfos hindered his endeavor by blocking his path. Link mentally cursed himself for letting his guard down.

He saw a taunting gleam flash in the monster's eye.

Link patted the sides of his tunic. He left both the Fairy Bow and his hookshot behind. Link paced backwards as the monster drew closer. _"Malon, I have to protect her… I have to think of something. C'mon Link! It can't be this hard,"_ he thought to himself.

The Stalfos refused to hesitate this time around. It slashed at the Hero of Time mercilessly. Link dodged the first few attacks with his unmatched agility. The fourth blow made impact on Link's exposed shoulder. He wailed in pain, backing up into a tree. He grabbed his fresh wound and glared at the foe before him. The Stalfos hoisted its weapon to strike the final blow onto the hero.

But the final blow never came.

Malon stood between the Stalfos and Link, shielding Link with his own sword. Her hands wrapped around the hilt of the blade trembled nervously but her face showed no signs of fright--only determination. Using the sword's strength, she pushed the Stalfos away. Link slid to the ground, still holding his injured shoulder.

"Malon… What are you doing? Get out of here!" he yelled, his voice was shaken from what he had just witnessed. Was Malon fighting for him?

Malon shook her head. "I'm not going to leave you. I've watched you fight hundreds of times. I think I can beat it."

"No! It's too strong for you!" Link's protests were silenced by the clattering of the swords. Malon wielding the Master Sword with no experience but her determination was enough to scare even Ganondorf himself. Link flinched trying to stand up. The pain shot throughout his entire body. _"Malon… Why are you doing this… for me?"_

Malon held a weak defensive stance but was able to block the Stalfos' attacks. She honestly did not know what to do. The Master Sword had been tossed carelessly near her, and when she had seen Link in need, her instincts immediately kicked in. She had grabbed the sword and rushed to his aid. However she had no experience fighting; all the _moves_ she knew were from watching Link fight. _"I refuse to sit by idly and watch Link die. I can help him! I'm not a helpless girl anymore!"_

Pure adrenaline pumped through her veins. She grabbed the hilt of the blade tighter, awaiting her moment to strike. And then she saw it! The Stalfos had paused briefly. Malon tactlessly rolled to the side, and with all her strength, she slashed through the monster's weakest point. It howled in pain, collapsing to the ground in a heap of bones.

Malon dropped the Master Sword and fell to her knees. She was out of breath, but at the same time, proud of her victory._ "I did it! I was able to beat the Stalfos!"_

"Malon," Link stumbled toward his comrade. "Are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?"

Malon looked up at Link with teary eyes. "I'm fine. I'm just a little exhausted but I'll be okay."

He smiled. "You never cease to surprise me. I didn't know you were so skilled. You know," he knelt down by her side, "I didn't know you had that kind of raw strength in you."

_"I didn't know either. It was all because… all because I wanted to help you. I wanted to prove I wasn't a helpless girl. I wanted to… I wanted to help you," _Malon thought. She only smiled in return. Anything was possible if you have the determination to match it, and Malon was living proof.

"I think we should get going now. We're still in the enemy's territory," Link said, helping the red-headed girl to her feet. "I don't know about you, but I'm not really in the mood to fight anymore."

"Is your shoulder okay?" asked a concerned Malon.

Link rolled his shoulder, flinching slightly at the pain. "I'll be fine. It's not that deep of a cut."

Malon nodded, pulling out her dainty handkerchief. She smiled and wrapped his wound gingerly. "Just to be on the safe side, let me fix it for you. I don't want it to reopen on accident."

Link smiled. "Thanks, Mal."

Another fleeting moment passed between the two. But all it took was a brief moment for the creature in the shadows to strike. A hidden Stalfos jumped out and prepared to avenge its friends.

"Link!" Malon shrieked.

With his quick reflexes, Link was able to shield the attack from striking Malon but at a cost. The shield was his body. Falling gracelessly on top of frightened girl, he struggled to pull himself to his feet. Malon wrapped her arms around the pain stricken man. "Link! Please tell me you're okay!"

"I'm… okay…" he muttered, grabbing the nearby sword which laid only a few inches from where he and Malon had fallen. "I guess… I guess I'll have to teach this one not… not to attack beautiful maidens."

"Link! Stop! You're hurt!" Malon protested, knowing Link was struggling just to stand.

Link raced toward the Stalfos with his sword raised high. The price for attacking Malon was death.

The Stalfos grinned deviously as it watched the half-defeated man run toward him. Link lowered his sword at a deathly speed but was halted by the Stalfos' shield. The monster kicked Link back carelessly. Link gasped for air and watched the sword come down. All he could do was close his eyes and await his fate.

"LINK!"

But the Goddesses sided with Link. An arrow, aimed perfectly, knocked the sword out of the monster's hand. Link looked toward the direction of the shot. "N-Nabooru?"

The Stalfos reached for its sword only to be stopped by a well-placed Goron punch, knocking the monster into the ravaging waters where it was swallowed immediately by the waves. Darunia turned to his stunned friend. "Looks like you needed some help."

Malon laughed good-heartedly, pulling herself off the ground. "I've never been so happy to see you guys in my life!"

"Darunia! How did you find us?" asked Link as the Goron leader helped him to his feet.

"Well, we decided to help the search team find you two. You have no idea how hard it was to track you down," Nabooru answered for her partner as she jumped down from the small cliff she was standing on. "Are you two okay?"

Link sighed in relief. "We are now."

**Notes: **Anyone watch those Burger King commercials? For some reason the king in those commercials makes me think of the king in this story. Just thought I'd mention that. Thank you so much for all the feedback. You guys are wonderful! I hope you liked this chapter.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

Nightfall had left and sunrise had taken its rightful shift. Link and Malon were escorted safely back to the castle with the help of Nabooru and Darunia who had agreed to assist with the search and rescue. Link sighed inwardly. Despite how much he dislike living in the castle, he was relieved to have to be back _home_. Link bit back laughter that wanted to burst free. _Home._ The castle was far from being his home. It was more of a prison where he was bound to his duty day in and day out.

A prison where he had no _freedom._

Link sighed. He wished he could escape from the busy life and find solace somewhere else… Somewhere quiet and peaceful where he could lay back and relax. Link shook his head. It was not that he hated his _duty_. All he wanted was an extended vacation from his chaotic life in the castle.

During the returning trip to the castle, Malon had become exhausted. However, the young woman pressed forward with no complaint. Link, on the other hand, noticed the girl struggling to keep up with the group. He offered his hand in assistance, but Malon shook her head politely. "I'll be fine," she had said. But Link knew the girl better than she had thought.

"_I know she's strong-willed, but I wish she would allow people to help her,"_ Link thought.

Eventually, Malon's legs had given out on her, and she was forced to accept his help. Link had took it upon himself to carry her on his back regardless of the pain he felt in his shoulder. Malon said nothing but a muffled 'thank you' out of civility. But Link could tell that she was slightly embarrassed. Was it because she was not able to make it by herself?

It was not too much longer after that event that they had finally reached the castle.

Link's first thought upon returning to the castle was to pay a visit to the doctor. Although a strange man, he was highly skilled when it came to medicines and remedies. Link sat on the small bed in the doctor's office. The man was looking over papers, mumbling incoherent words to himself. Link sighed, grasping the dainty handkerchief that Malon had wrapped around his wound. Blood stains had taken residence on the once-white cloth. Link sighed feeling somewhat guilty for ruining the young woman's only handkerchief.

Link rolled his shoulder, wincing at the sharp pain. The doctor, shaking his head in disapproval, turned toward the man. "Looks like you've done it again, Link," he, ostensibly familiar with Link, said with a chuckle.

Link narrowed his eyes but refused to reply.

"It's not as serious as I predicted. You're lucky this time. Usually when you come here you're either dying or bleeding all over my office. You have no idea how hard it is to clean up blood stains," he laughed again at his joke. Link, however, did not find it funny. The doctor noticed Link's change of face and quickly stopped laughing. "Well, anyway, you should take it easy on that shoulder. I'll provide you with some medicine to ease the pain," he exhorted.

Nodding, Link took the medicine and departed from the clinic. "_That man is almost as bad as the king._"

The only thing Link wanted to do at that moment was to sleep. He was worn out. All he could think of was taking a good nap. He nodded self-approvingly as if deciding to himself that was what he were to do. However before he were to do that, there was something he wanted to do.

Walking down the corridor Link noticed two castle maids staring at him. Link nervously cleared his throat as their gaze was like stone.

"He so cute," one of the maids whispered, giggling.

"You should say something to him. The other girls said he was sweet. Maybe he'll talk to you," replied the other maid.

The first maid nodded, mustering the courage to speak as he walked passed them. "Mmm… C'mere chica bonita," she purred.

Link froze.

"Uh… You just called him a pretty girl," her friend whispered in her ear.

"Oh! That's why it never works!" she said embarrassingly before the two left hastily and returned to their chores.

Link's eye twitched. Could things get _any_ worse?

"Ah! Just the man I've been looking for!"

It could.

Link jumped at the sound of the oh-so-familiar voice. Link sighed and turned around to face him. "You've been looking for me?" he asked sheepishly.

The king nodded. "I wanted to check on you and that girl."

"_Malon… I seriously doubt he came to check on her…"_

"Anyway," the king paused, shaking his finger at Link. "You had me so worried. I feared for the worse."

"Well, Malon and I are okay. Thanks for your concern…"

Link sighed, turning away from the king. Where did Malon go? He had lost track of her once they had arrived at the castle. The two were not informed of the results from the last round of the competition, and Link could only assume that Malon and Nabooru were eliminated. He became lost in a swirling pool of thoughts. "_Why can't I get her out of my mind…?"_

"Link! Did you hear me?" the king asked, sounded very annoyed.

"Huh?" Link swung his head around to meet the older man's.

"I asked if you'd like to join me tonight. I want to celebrate your safe return," he said with a smile.

"With…another banquet?" Link asked, slightly scared of the answer. The king loved his pointless banquets.

"Not this time. Will you come?"

And regretfully, Link agreed.

* * *

She sighed, staring blankly out the window. Her head rested comfortably in the palms of her hands. The sun was slowly coming over the horizon; sunrise was always beautiful to watch. Malon yawned. Once she and the others returned to the castle, she scurried to her room to sleep. However, something kept her awake. 

She closed her eyes. Reminiscing on what she had just gone through only hours earlier, she sighed. Although despite the conditions Malon was pleased she and Link had spent some time together. She scoffed. "Yeah, being attacked by angry Stalfos… Very romantic."

Malon stood up slowly and walked toward her bed. She flopped onto the bed lazily and spread her arms above her head. Letting out a vast sigh the red-headed woman closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander. She was still in the dark about the competition. The only words anyone had said to her once she arrived was that she needed to rest.

Not wanting to argue, she had nodded her head and had quickly set off to her quarters. Opening her eyes she drew her hands in front of her face. "Did I really wield Link's sword? What gave me the strength and courage to do that?" she paused, allowing a gentle smile to curve at her lips. "Oh Din, you truly are watching over us."

It seemed like only moments had passed since she and Link were sitting back to back in the waterfall cavern. She remembered their damp skin sticking to each other. She remembered how his heavy breaths were, and how the crackling of the fire was the only things she heard. She remembered feeling his heart beat rapidly while her back rested against his. She wondered if he could have felt hers; it was the first time she had been so close to him, and surely her heart was racing. And she remembered resting her head on his shoulder and breathing in his scent. How she wished she could relive those moments.

Malon rolled onto her side, grabbing the nearest pillow to hug it. And then she remembered how he valiantly protected her against a swarm of Stalfos. His true motives were unclear whether he wanted to protect her because he cared or whether he protected her because it was his job.

She shook her head. In spite of everything, Link was her friend.

He was only a friend.

"_Why do I always have to think about this? I'm so stupid,"_ she mentally berated herself.

Link was her friend. He would never let anything happen to his friends. No matter how much she wished otherwise, he only cared about her as a friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. And that was it.

"Then why do I still continue with this competition? Is there something inside of me that still believes I can make him actually like me?" Malon asked herself.

If there was one thing Malon hated more than anything else then it was to be utterly confused.

She was confused over many things: the competition, Link, and even herself.

She shook her head again. "Now's not the time to think about this. I promised I'd make sure Link didn't get into a mess by marrying someone else. I will not go back on my word."

As if on cue there was a slight knock on the door. Malon lifted her head to stare blankly at the door. Thinking that if she were to ignore the knocks, they would leave. However that was not the case this time. The knocks grew louder and louder but still kept its gentleness. Defeated, Malon rose to her feet and trudge toward the door.

"Who is it?" she asked tiredly.

"You friendly neighborhood hero."

Malon let out small giggle and opened the door. "Yes, Mr. Hero of Time? Is there anything I could do for you?"

He grinned. "There's a lot you could do for me, pretty lady."

Malon forced herself to laugh. "You're funny, Mr. Hero."

"Why thank you," he gently pushed open the door to allow himself inside. Malon smiled lopsidedly and walked over to one of the chairs in the room. Sitting down, she watched as Link stumbled into the room with one of his hands wrapped around his back. "I thought you deserved some of these," he swung his arm before Malon, showcasing freshly picked white flowers that also included the roots and dirt. He smiled playfully. "What do you think?"

"Gee, they're pretty Link. Did you pick these from the garden?" she asked, grabbing the flowers from his hand.

"Yeah, but I did it when the gardener was looking the opposite direction. He'll never notice they're gone," he laughed before taking a seat in the extra chair next to Malon. "I wanted to check on you. How do you feel?"

Malon, who was placing the flowers in a vase nearest the window, shrugged her shoulders. "I know that I feel a little better than earlier."

"Well," Link began, "I guess that's better than feeling worse."

She nodded and returned to her seat. "Yes, I suppose so."

A wave of silence washed over the two. Malon nervously fiddled with her fingers as she desperately rummaged through her mind for anything to say. Unnoticed to Malon, Link was in the same position as she. He sighed, raising his head to meet hers. "The king wants us to join him later tonight. Do you think you can make it?" he asked suddenly.

Malon paused momentarily. "You're joking, right?"

Link shook his head.

"I don't trust him Link…"

Malon closed her eyes, remembering what she had read in the king's office. It was all there in her hands. She knew the truth. "_I should tell Link… But I want to ruin the king's plans so badly. And… I want to win… For Link…"_

"It's okay, Mal. I'll be there," he placed his hand on her tiny shoulder. "Besides, I don't want to be there with him alone. I'll feel more comfortable if I had you there, too."

Malon looked up and nodded. "Okay, then I'll go with you."

Link scrambled to his feet and headed toward the door. "All right then. You get some rest, and I'll see you later tonight."

"Oh. What about you? What are you going to do?" asked Malon curiously.

"I have a few things to take care of before I'm able to take a nap," he said hastily before leaving the room.

Malon tilted her head slightly before crawling into her bed. "I wonder what it could be."

* * *

Hours passed and soon the dinner or sorts the king had planned was drawing near. Link and Malon, who had recently awoken from their long overdue nap, stumbled into the room gracelessly together. Malon, being first to enter the room where the king had told them to meet, looked around inquisitively. "No one's here, Link. Are you sure this is the room he said to meet in?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. 

Link shrugged, setting his hand on Malon's back and guiding her into the room. "Well, there's a table and some chairs. I'm sure he's just making us wait for him like he always does."

"Hey, you two were invited here, too?" said a voice from the doorway.

Link and Malon both turned to face the person entering the room. "Hey, Darunia. I guess the king asked you to come, too," said Link.

Not too much longer after Darunia arrived, the others casually walked into the room. The remaining contestants and Link gathered around the table and took their seats. Link studied the girls, noticing something was missing. "Hey, where's Saria?"

"Kokiri Forest," replied Nabooru nonchalantly.

Malon and Link shot the Gerudo a baffled look.

"I guess you haven't been informed of the results," Ruto said to Malon. "The referees counted the flags. Nabooru and you made it by one flag. The wind knocked the flags from Saria's gripped, and Nabooru managed to obtain enough for you and her to win. Oh, and Darunia and I were able to collect the most flags! And everyone doubted we could do it," the Zora princess explained.

"You're pretty lucky," Darunia chuckled.

Malon blushed widely. She had made it thanks to Nabooru. She still had a chance to win the competition. Malon sighed in relief. "_I won't mess up next time! I can't afford it again."_

"_Malon, are you really that willing to go through this… For me? Why…?"_ Link thought inwardly as his gaze hovered over the determined red-headed woman.

At that moment the door flung open and in walked the king, smiling widely like he always smiled. He took his seat at the end of the table between Link and Malon. His smile never ceased to fade from his face. "Good evening everyone!"

The group grumbled several incoherent words.

"I can feel the love in the air!"

"So, why did you want us to come here?" asked Nabooru candidly.

The king clapped his hands and several servants quickly came into the room, setting up the table for the group. Each person had a rather large mug filled with a yellowish liquid in front of them. "I thought we should celebrate the return of Link and…uh…and… Mulan!"

The room became silent.

"Malon," she corrected.

"Oh. Right."

"I hope this isn't your piss," suddenly commented Nabooru dryly as she studied the beverage.

Zelda, who sat on the opposite side of the table, cleared her throat. "What is this, father?"

"It's my special recipe!"

Everyone set their mugs down.

"Oh c'mon! I worked really hard on it!" he paused. "I swear it's not my pee!"

Ruto sniffed the drink. "It smells like…beer."

"…No! I made it all by myself, and I was not looking at a recipe for beer while doing so," the king threw his arms up defensively.

"Uh… I'm don't really care for alcoholic beverages," Link replied sheepishly.

"There's no alcohol in there. Trust me," he grinned.

Link held the mug to his mouth. He sighed, giving the drink one last glance. "Well then, I guess one drink wouldn't hurt."

He guzzled down the supposedly nonalcoholic substance.

The king smiled and took a sip of his drink. He set the mug down and stared at it. "Oh. I guess I did put alcohol in it…"

Link nearly jumped out of his seat. "You what!"

The king scratched his neck nervously.

"Oh Nayru!" Link covered his head with his hands. "I… I can't hold my alcohol… The last time I tried it, it didn't end so well or so I was told. I can't remember."

"Wow," Nabooru held back her laughter. "You can defeat the King of Evil and save a whole kingdom, but you can't hold your alcohol. Way to go, oh great Hero of Time."

"Ugh… My head hurts now…" Link groaned.

"Father!" Zelda scolded.

"What? I didn't intentionally try to get Link drunk! How was I supposed to know he reacted to alcohol that way!" the king said defensively.

"So you did put alcohol in it!" Ruto explained.

"…No. I did no such thing."

Ruto slapped her forehead. "I'll pass on the drink."

"I think I'll do the same," said Darunia as he set his mug onto the table followed by everyone else.

"Well, fine! None of you are allowed to have my drink!" the king huffed.

"We don't want any," Nabooru replied disdainfully.

"Ugh…" Link moaned.

At that moment Impa walked into the room unceremoniously, minding her own business like usual. The king slammed his mug onto the table. "And what are you doing here! You lost the competition! You're supposed to be home!"

Impa turned her head slowly to respond. "I live here."

The king narrowed his eyes. "Well, not anymore! You now live there!" he pointed toward the wall.

It did not take long for Impa to notice what the crazed man was referring to. "The mouse hole. You want me to live there?" she asked with a mocking tone.

"Yes! You better get packing tonight!" the king stated.

Impa sighed and rolled her eyes. She shook her head disapprovingly and further ignored the king by leaving the room. The king crossed his arms stubbornly. Some people will just never learn.

"Link? Hey, Link?" Darunia shouted into the quiet man's ear. "Is he sleeping?"

"Is he dead?" asked Nabooru.

"Gee. I hope he doesn't spontaneously combust. You know what they say about drunk people," the king added with his oh-so-wise knowledge.

Everyone ignored the king and returned their attention toward their ill friend.

"Maybe you should poke him, Darunia," commented Nabooru, handing the Goron leader her shoe. "Here, take this."

Darunia quirked an eyebrow. "What do you want me to do with this?"

"Smack him upside his head. Duh!" Nabooru rolled her eyes.

"Maybe someone should gently shake him. Isn't that the proper way to go about situations like this," Zelda said, walking over to Link and softly shaking his shoulders. "Link? Link! You should go to your room and get some sleep now," she whispered gingerly.

No answer.

"Link! Wake up!"

No answer.

"Please Link?"

No answer.

"Oh Din! Ganondorf's here!" the king screamed.

Link's head suddenly shot up, colliding with Zelda's face.

"Ugh!" Zelda fell backward and crashed into the wall. She quickly drew her hands to her face. "Father!"

"Are you okay?" asked a concerned Malon.

Darunia quickly rushed toward the princess' side to check on her. He examined her face closely. "I think you'll be okay. You're going to have an ugly bruise tomorrow though. But other than that, you're fine."

Zelda nodded her head considerably, wincing at the pain. "Thank you, Darunia."

"Ugh… Ganondorf…" Link groaned.

"Uh, Link?" Ruto said timidly. "Are you feeling well?"

Link stood up suddenly. His head hung low, allowing the darkness to shade his face. "Ganondorf… You have some nerve to come back," he hiccupped.

Darunia looked around the room. "Are you talking to me?"

"Don't play dumb with me Ganondorf! Your tricks won't work on me!" he growled.

"…"

"Ganondorf! Prepare to meet your maker!" Link yelled ferociously. "Hand me my sword, Zelda!"

"Link, that's a chair you're talking to," Nabooru replied wryly.

"You're wasting time! He's going to escape with the jewels!" Link hiccupped again.

"Jewels?" asked Ruto.

"Yes! He's a jewel thief who ran the Potion Shop in his previously life! He ripped me off several times! I'm going to settle the score right here and now!" he yelled. His words made no sense to anyone around him.

"Are you sure you're talking about Ganondorf?" asked Nabooru. "That doesn't sound like him to me."

"No! You don't know him like I did! He's Ganondorf, the king of ripping people off!" Link shouted in rage. "Now, hand me my sword!"

Darunia cowered in the corner.

Link held his hand out, waiting for his sword. Zelda searched the table and placed a spoon in his hand. Link, not knowing the difference between the Master Sword and a spoon, charged at Darunia with his trusty _sword_. "Take that!"

"Ow! Stop! That hurts!" Darunia shielded his head.

"Stop him! He's beating Darunia with a spoon!" Ruto shrieked.

The king propped his feet on the table. "Well, this is certainly new."

"It's your fault! If you wouldn't have mentioned Ganondorf, this would not have happened!" Nabooru yelled angrily.

"Improvise Darunia! I-M-P-R-O-V-I-S-E!" Malon called out.

Darunia thought quickly. "Ugh! Damn you, Hero of Time!"

He fell to the ground motionlessly.

Link bent down and studied Darunia. He gasped suddenly, dropping the spoon on to the ground. "His skin is rock!"

"Wow. Way to go Mr. Obvious," replied Nabooru sarcastically.

"You know what that means…"

"It means that you just killed Darunia with a spoon." answered Ruto.

"No! It means Ganondorf was never a Gerudo! He was a Goron!"

Ruto and Nabooru slapped their heads. He was hopeless.

"Link? I think you should get some rest now," added Malon who approached the weary hero cautiously.

"Ugh… Malon. I don't feel so well," he said, rubbing his head.

"I know. But you'll feel much better if you just rest," Malon cooed.

"Is Ganondorf gone?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes. Hyrule is safe again thanks to you," she smiled warmly. "I'll help you to your room. Are you ready?"

Link nodded. "All right…"

Nabooru walked up to Darunia. "You know you can get up now."

Darunia's eyes fluttered opened. "Is it safe?"

Nabooru nodded reassuringly.

"Well," the king began, "that was very amusing. I think now it's time we all get some sleep. It's been a long day, right Darunia?"

Darunia narrowed his eyes. "A very long day…"

As Malon supported Link and helped him return to his room safely, a small black box fell from Link's tunic onto the floor. Zelda, who was walking a few feet behind Link and Malon, noticed the item and retrieved it. She opened her mouth to call to Link but suddenly stopped once she examined the tag.

_To Malon. From Link._

Zelda opened the box and found a silver heart-shaped locket. Zelda forced a smile. She gently closed the box and quickly left the room to catch up to Link and Malon. Surely Malon would need all the assistance she could get.

**Notes: **I thought another humor-filled chapter was needed. More of the king and his much-loved craziness coming soon!


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

Link, opening his eyes warily, slowly rolled onto his side. It only took him a moment to realize where he was--his room. He could only ponder how he ended up safely in his room, but at that moment, he did not care. Sitting up, he rubbed his head in hopes of relieving the pain disconcerting him. He remembered, although not clearly, the previous night and what had happened.

However, not wanting to dwell on the matter, Link threw the sheets back over his head and grumbled garbled words to himself. Had he listened to his voice of reason that night he would not have been in pain that morning. Of course, he had took the king's word again and paid the consequences for it.

Never listen to the king. Ever. And that was the lesson Link had learned.

Link buried his head further into the pillow. Even if the king were to say such things as, "Link, you're wearing green," or "Link, you're a man," Link would disregard his words because one should never listen to the king. With a mumble of satisfaction, Link covered his head with his pillow.

But a little voice in his head reminded him that no matter how much he desired it, he could not have a break. Link, knowing there was little he could do, only sighed and rolled sluggishly out of bed. The first thing on his mind was to give a formal apology to everyone--even the king.

Although the thought of apologizing to the king was unsettling in Link's mind, he felt as though he was obligated to apologize for his actions that night. "_Wasn't it his fault why this happened? He should apologize to me! He got me drunk!"_ Link grumbled inwardly.

It proved useless to argue with his thoughts. If he were to feel better with himself, he had to apologize, especially to Malon. He had made a complete fool of himself in front of her. Link could only wonder what Malon thought of him after that incident. He had a knack for ruining things.

Thinking, Link ran his fingers through his unruly hair. If he were going to do something about it, he knew he had to do it before the day began. He grabbed his usual clothes from a heap on the floor and examined them. "Yeah. Clean."

He quickly threw on the _clean_ clothes and unsuccessfully tamed his hair. With a loud "huff" Link made his way toward the exit. Before he reached for the doorknob, he remembered something important. Patting his tunic furiously, he mumbled curses to himself. He ran back toward the pile of clothes on the floor and desperately searched for the tunic he had taken off just moments earlier.

Then he realized something.

They were all the same. Green. All Green.

Link rubbed his temples. "I really should consider wearing different colors."

Without further thought, Link submerged himself within the massive pile of green tunics. Throwing tunics left and right, the Hero of Time searched frantically for Malon's gift. It was a small locket he had promised to replace after an incident one day. Link frowned. "Damn! I'm going to have to replace the replacement!"

"Link?"

Link stuck his head out from the endless green pile. "Uh. Hey, Zelda. How did you get in here?"

"The door," she smiled. "I came to check on you, but I didn't see you. You blend in quite well with those tunics."

Link pulled himself off the floor. He dusted off his tunic and returned his attention to the clothes. He began picking the clothes from the floor. "Uh. Yeah. I was just looking for something."

Zelda closed the door behind her and ventured further into the room. "Hmm. Would that item you're searching for be a small box?"

Link stopped picking up the clothes and turned his head slowly toward Zelda. He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak but Zelda quietly shook her head. She pulled out a small black box from her pocket and gently handed it to Link.

Link stared blankly at the box. "How did you get this?"

"It fell from your pocket last night when Malon was helping you to your room. I didn't want to give it to you last night because I was afraid you might misplace it. I wanted to return it to you. I'm sorry I kept it for so long," she replied sincerely.

"Did you--"

"--Yes. But it is none of my business. I won't ask any questions."

"Zelda…"

"But may I say one thing?" she turned around and headed toward the door. "It's very obvious how you feel about Malon. You and she may not notice it but I can. You should let her know before it's too late. Otherwise, you'll only be left with only heartache and regret."

Link lowered his head. "S-She's just my friend."

Zelda giggled. "Is that so? The way you act toward her could fool anyone."

Link furrowed his eyebrows. Was his feelings that obvious? "Zelda! How long have you…noticed…?"

Zelda closed her eyes. "For longer than you think. You always left the castle to visit her. You always made excuses, like 'Epona's not feeling well. I've got to take her to Malon' or 'Mr. Talon needs some help delivering milk.' After a while, you started leaving without saying anything to anyone."

"If it bothered you that I left without saying anything, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's not my place to tell you what you can or cannot do," she replied simply. "I didn't come here to talk to you about this. My father wants you to come to the conference room in thirty minutes if you're feeling well. Will you come?"

Link shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. I'll be there."

Zelda nodded before quickly leaving the room.

Link, looking down at the box in his hand, sighed. Had he been hiding his feelings for as long as Zelda said? Link slid his thumb across the box and popped it open. His eyes studied the piece of jewelry. He had prayed that his memory served its purpose. Snapping the box shut, he left the room in a hurry to find Malon.

* * *

_Trudging slowly behind Malon, Link huffed loudly as he tried to keep up with the punctilious girl. The sun was barely out and he and Malon were already wide awake working. Link adjusted the pails in his hands. He had been working for nearly thirty minutes and he already felt as if he had been working all day. He grumbled inwardly._

"_And you do this every day? This doesn't seem like a chore to me. This is more like torture," Link commented, swaying his head back and forth in a desperate attempt to remove his unruly bangs from his eyes._

_Malon giggled. "Hmm. It's not that bad. You're just not used to all this work."_

_Link grumbled again. "Your father is crazy for making you do this. You need someone big and strong to do all this work for you."_

_Malon shook her head, allowing a smile to dance upon her lips. She sat her pails onto the ground and placed her free hands on her hips. "And by big and strong, you must be referring to yourself--the one who is struggling just to keep up with me--right?"_

_Link frowned. "Hey! It's just that I'm not used to all this work. After all, my job is to fight man-eating monsters and evil power-hungry kings bent on ruling Hyrule with an iron fist. Chores do not fall under that category."_

_Malon let out a small sigh as she approached the young man. She lifted her hand to his face and removed his bothersome bangs from his eyes. "I really appreciate you coming out here so early in the morning to help me. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. You've done enough already."_

"_Nah. It's not a problem. I'm glad I could help you," he replied ingenuously._

_Malon smiled, bending over to recover her pails. "All right then, Fairy Boy. Don't fall behind."_

"_Yes ma'am!"_

_The two quickly finished the remainder of the chores with plenty of free time to spare. Feeding angry cuccos and cleaning out a barn was not how Link typically spent his mornings. However, he was very pleased that particular morning. Malon's grateful smile was enough to make Link want to help her every morning. _

_Link scratched the back of his neck. "Well, looks like we've finished early. Anything else I can help you with?"_

_Malon thought for a moment. "No. I think we've finished everything for now. I really appreciate this, Link. Usually it takes me longer, but with the two of us, I think we did pretty good."_

"_Ah. Like I said, Mal, it's nothing really. I'm sure by the next couple of days I'll be used to working as hard as you," he turned toward the red-headed girl with a sly grin. "Now… How 'bout that payment you offered?"_

_Malon sighed. "And all this time I thought you just wanted to help a poor lil' gal out."_

"_Of course I wanted to help you! But when you placed an offer like _that_, how can I refuse?" Link grinned, waggling his eyebrows inanely._

_Malon laughed, handing him his payment. "All right! All right! Here you go, as promised."_

"_Ah… Fresh Lon Lon Milk. This stuff is addicting, you know that?" Link feverishly devoured his reward. Letting out a satisfied sigh, he wiped the milk from his lip. "You're the best, Mal."_

_Malon smiled, shaking her head playfully. "I see why you come to the ranch so much; you just want some fresh milk."_

_Link pouted. "No! Never! I come to see you. The milk is just a bonus."_

"_Hah! Hah! Link, you're so silly sometimes."_

_The two quickly made their way from the stables and toward the corral where Epona awaited her master. Smiling, Link approached his steed. "Well, looks like you have the rest of the day off. I was--"_

_She interrupted him in mid-sentence. "Yes, Link. I'll go with you to your _hideout."

"_What are you? Psychic?" Link laughed. "And besides, I thought we agreed that it was _our _special place. You know, that night I showed it to you." _

_Malon nodded, smiling. "I haven't forgot."_

"_Yeah…"_

_Malon beamed. He had remembered that night--a night she remembered so vividly. Maybe that night was as important to him as it was for her. Turning her head toward the other horses in the corral, she noticed one of them was extremely agitated. The young woman furrowed her eyebrows as she examined it further. Concerned, the red-haired girl advanced toward the troubled animal._

"_Anyway, Mal… Huh? Mal?" Link turned his head toward the girl's direction. "What's wrong?"_

"_It's Agro…" she said hastily._

"_You mean that brown and white horse? I thought Talon was going to, you know…" replied the young man._

_Malon shook her head. "My father really likes Agro. It would have been too hard on him to, well, take the horse behind the barn… and… My father thought he'd get better."_

"_Agro is really sick, Malon," he replied grimly._

"_I know…"_

_The red-haired girl tenderly raised her hands to cup the horse's frightened face. "Shh… It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. It'll be okay," she cooed, hoping to calm the troubled animal. Her success was short-lived._

"_Hey! Damn cuccos!" Link hollered, trying to pry off the cuccos pecking his legs. "Dumb birds! Why do they hate me so much?" he growled, glowering at the cuccos. "What did I ever do to you? Huh? You better stop pecking at my feet or else I'm going to eat you and your mother!"_

_Malon directed her attention to Link. "Oh Link. Stop making the cuccos angry. If you wouldn't provoke them all the time, maybe they wouldn't try to hurt you."_

"_I did no such thing this time! I swear! I didn't chase them around the pen with my sword or throw them around! Not today, at least…" he grumbled._

_Malon shook her head. "You'll never learn."_

"_Man… These cuccos must have a good memory if they still hate me…"_

"_I think any animal would remember the person who threw them across the ranch, chased them around the ranch with Epona, and pretended to swordfight them, Link," Malon stated dryly._

"_Ah… I hate cuccos."_

_Suddenly the horse shrieked loudly, jumping onto its hind legs. Malon, who was standing directly in front of the disturbed animal, could only watch as the horse's front legs moved in for the kill._

"_Malon!"_

_Link, with inhuman speed, rushed toward Malon and tackled the girl into a heap on the ground. The impact caused a small silver locket to escape from Malon's neck and bounce toward the horse. Before any words could emerge from Malon's lips, the locket was crushed under the strength of the horse. The animal quickly fled from the corral until it was out of sight._

_Malon, wincing slightly from the collision, sat into an up-right position. The pain was nothing to her; she was more concerned with the horse. "Ow… Agro?"_

_Link, with both arms at each side of the girl, met her face. "Malon, are you okay?"_

_And then she took notice to their questionable position. Her face turned three shades of red. "I-I'm okay. T-Thank you," she replied nervously, shifting slightly under his weight._

"_What in tarnation is goin' on!" Talon roared from the entrance of the corral._

"_Agro ran away," replied Malon._

"_No! I mean _that_," he pointed to Link and Malon. "Don't you two have the decency to get a room! Youngins these days," he shook his head disappointedly. "Hey, where's Agro?"_

"_He ran away!" both Malon and Link retorted in unison._

_Talon, with sudden realization, gasped and quickly left the corral to chase after the horse. "Agro! Come back!"_

_Malon cleared her throat. "You know you can move now."_

"_Oh! I'm sorry!" an embarrassed Link replied, rolling over to the girl's side. Sighing, he laid on the grassy field with his hands above his head. "What a day… What a day…" _

"_Mmhmm," she agreed, placing her hand around her neckline. "My locket! Where is it?"_

"_Is it silver and shaped like a heart?"_

"_Yes!"_

_Without saying a word, Link lifted his finger in the direction of the crushed necklace._

_Malon gasped. "My locket!"_

_She scrambled to her feet and gathered the locket into her hands. She moaned dejectedly. "It was my last birthday present from my mother. I guess I can't complain though. At least I still have my life," she said dourly._

_Link frowned. "Mal, I'm really sorry about your necklace. I didn't mean to break it."_

"_It's not your fault. You were only trying to help me. If anyone is at fault, then it's me. I shouldn't be wearing jewelry while I'm working on the ranch anyway."_

"_But I do worry about it! I'll get you another one, okay?" he protested._

"_No. It's okay. Really," she replied, smiling._

_Although she had smiled, Link knew better than to think everything was okay. Determined, Link inwardly declared he would replace her precious locket one day._

* * *

Link had traveled across the castle and had arrived outside Malon's door. The blonde man sighed, clutching the small box within his hand. Link lifted his free hand toward the door but paused. Zelda's words echoed throughout his mind. 

He knew he cared for Malon more than a friend. He had stopped denying it long ago and finally learned to accept it. However, as much as he would love to tell her, he could never do so. There was a fine line with her he could never cross. Link was a man who was compelled to duty.

"_What if I married her, and then I was sent somewhere to protect Hyrule… What if I died? What if I never returned to her? I could never do that to Malon,"_ he thought to himself, grasping the box tighter.

Link shook the thought from his mind. "Get a hold of yourself, Link!"

"Um… What are you doing?"

"Ah!" Link turned around quickly. "How long have you been standing there?"

Malon giggled. "Long enough to know you like to talk to yourself."

Link lowered his head. "Uh… Yeah…"

"Are you going to let me in my room?" asked Malon innocently.

"Oh. Sorry about that," he replied, moving away from her door.

"It's okay," she said, opening her door. "Did you need something?"

"Uh… Not really."

Malon quirked an eyebrow. "So you just like standing outside people's doors for no reason then?"

Link's shoulders dropped. "No… I…"

Malon pouted. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little edgy today. I had trouble sleeping last night."

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm okay now," she replied simply. "Let's go inside. I don't like talking in the hallway. You never know who's listening."

Link nodded and followed her inside her room. "So, where were you?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean just a minute ago? I was walking around outside. I needed some fresh air," she laughed. "I hate being cooped up inside."

"Yeah, me too," Link played with the box in his hand.

"Hm? What's that in your hand?" asked Malon inquiringly.

"Oh, this? It's for you," he tossed it to the red-haired girl.

Malon blushed. "For me? What is it?"

"Open it and see for yourself."

Malon anxiously removed the top from the box. Her eyes widened as they scanned the contents. "Link! How did you…? Is this…? I can't believe it!"

Link smiled. "I told you I'd replace it one day."

Malon fought back her tears trying to escape. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Link! You're the best ever! It looks exactly like my mother's!"

"I know that it can never replace the original one, but I hope it'll be okay."

Malon threw her arms around Link's neck. "You're so sweet! Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

After a few moments, Malon pulled away from Link. She placed the necklace on her nightstand and turned back toward Link. "Well, I guess today we'll be having another game. I better not put my necklace on."

"Is that what they told you this morning?" asked Link.

"Yes. We're supposed to meet in the conference room at noon," she replied.

"Ah. It's almost noon then. Want me to walk with you?"

Malon blushed. "That would be great. Let's go."

* * *

Link, fiddling nervously with his fingers, sat quietly at the table as he watched the king walk back and forth in the front of the room. Once he and the others arrived, they were asked to sit immediately. Nothing was explained but the king sounded urgent when they entered the room. They had been waiting for the _important speech_ for over ten minutes. Link sighed. "_Is he going to speak or not?"_

The king suddenly stopped and faced the group. "And the moral of the story is: do not eat the green, moldy berries. They will consume your soul and shrivel your body."

"…"

"What story?"

The king slapped his forehead. "No one ever listens to me."

"But you didn't say anything," commented Ruto dryly.

"Yes I did! I was talking to everyone telepathically!" he retorted, crossing his arms like a stubborn child.

"I thought we were going to be briefed on our next round. Instead, you bring us here to tell us something completely useless. What a waste of time," Nabooru sighed, throwing her hands into the air. "Why do I even bother anymore?"

"It wasn't useless information! It could very well save your lives one day!" the king yelled defensively. "You heard the story, right Link?"

"…Uh."

"Yes? See! Link heard it, too!"

"Can we please get this over with? I'd like to get this over with if you don't mind." Darunia rubbed his eyes tiredly.

The king rolled his eyes. "Fine. Your next round takes place in an underground maze with a lot of traps and other things not safe for the human body. It's not located too far from the castle so we'll be able to walk. Okay. Ready to start the day off on a good note?"

"…You are not serious, are you?" Zelda blinked.

"Oh no…" Malon frowned, placing her head in her hands.

"Bah! Bring it on!" Darunia slammed his fist onto the table.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Ruto sighed.

"…. .. …. …. .. .. …."

"What's that, Link? You think this is a great idea?" asked the king.

"… …. … … …… …."

"Hah! Hah! You're so funny!" the king laughed.

"He's not saying anything," commented Impa from the corner of the room where she had been standing.

"Don't tell me you can't translate what he says?" the king grinned. "Because I can! I'm a pro at translating dots!"

"Right. I forgot," Impa, rolling her eyes, replied sarcastically.

"… ….. … .. .. ….. …"

"What's that Link? You like to go to bars and punch innocent babies and bar stools in the faces because it makes you feel more like a man? Is that so? Well I'll be…!" the king nodded.

"…. …. …!"

"No way! Get out of here!" said the king, covering his mouth with his hand.

"What did he say?" asked Ruto.

"I don't know," the king lowered his head.

"Ugh! Nothing makes sense anymore!" Nabooru suddenly shouted out in frustration.

"MY LIFE IS A HUGE PLOT HOLE!" the king's voice echoed throughout the small room as he fell to his knees with his arms thrown in the air.

The room became silent.

"Um. Yeah," Malon was as lost as everyone else in the room.

"Um. Anyway. Another maze? You're running out of ideas, old man," Nabooru tried to change the subject by bringing up the competition.

"No! No! No… This one's underground! I'm still creative!" the king stood up, smiling.

"Gee. Where's the next one going to take place? Space?" replied Nabooru dryly.

"Now, you're just being silly. You know it's not possible to go up there," the king said, wagging his finger.

"I was trying to think like you."

"What a horrible impression! You offend me!"

"So," Link, rubbing his neck, finally spoke up, "when are we going to leave?"

"Well… Right now, of course!" the king ran toward the door. "All right everyone! Form a straight line and follow behind me!"

Everyone stared at each other.

"Don't lag behind or I'll take your apple off the tree!" the king scolded.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nabooru asked angrily.

"We're not your children, you know?" Ruto crossed her arms.

"Bah! Just follow me!" the king grumbled and exited the room with the group following slowly behind him.

* * *

The group stood outside the castle in a not-so-straight formation. The king shook his head disapprovingly but disregarded it anyway. He smiled and placed his hands on his hips. "All right everyone. Our destination is west of the castle. It's not too far so it shouldn't take us too long to get there." 

"Please don't tell me we're going to have to hike up a mountain or something?" Ruto asked, afraid to hear the answer.

The king laughed. "No. There's no mountain this time. Just a straight path to our goal."

"Hey," Darunia spoke, "who is that man running toward us?"

Everyone turned around and faced the mysterious figure coming their way.

"Hey! You!" the mysterious person shouted

The king tilted his head. "Who are you?"

"You don't remember me?" the young man asked as he ran toward the king.

The king shook his head. "I've never seen you before in my life."

The young man clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

Link narrowed his eyes and took note of the young man's strange behavior. "_What is with this guy? Doesn't he know who he's talking to?"_

"If you'll excuse us, young man, we are very busy right now. If there's something you need, Impa can take care of it," the king brushed aside the stranger.

"Well, maybe this will refresh your memory!" the stranger pulled out a dagger and impaled the king as he turned away from the mysterious man.

"Ugh! Et tu, Brutus!" the king _dramatically_ collapsed onto the ground.

"Father! No!" Zelda cried out hysterically and ran to her father's side.

"That's what you get for taking my rock… Thirty Two years ago!" the crazed man yelled at the lifeless body on the ground.

"Oh Din!" Malon fell to her knees in shock. "_I just witness someone murdered before me!"_

Before the man could run away from the crime scene, Link and Impa intercepted his escape. Link pulled out the Master Sword and pointed it toward the man.

"Wait! Wait! Don't kill me!" the man pleaded.

"How dare you beg for your life! You murdered my father!" Zelda cried.

Then Zelda heard a familiar voice snickering. She looked down to see her supposedly-dead father smiling.

"Father! You're…alive!"

The king sat up and studied everyone's white faces. "Hah! Hah! Hah! Got you!"

"You idiot!" Nabooru cursed. "You had everyone believe you were murdered!"

"Is this some kind of a joke?" Ruto yelled angrily.

The king wiped his tears from his eyes. "Aw man! You should have seen the look on your face, Zelda! You were like this," he tried to imitate her face but found it difficult to make because of his laughter. "And Link! Your eyes looked like they were about to pop out of your head!"

Link's eye twitched. "_I'm going to stab him myself…"_

Impa sighed. "Another one of your jokes, I see."

"Yeah! I'm a great actor, aren't I?" he pulled himself off the ground. "I've got to introduce you to Carl. He works at the Happy Mask shop. Come here, Carl. I couldn't have done it without you!"

The young man, Carl, bowed politely. "Thank you."

Darunia grumbled. "C'mon. That's not funny. People do that all the time in Goron City--kill people for their rocks. I, as a Goron citizen, am highly offended by this."

Zelda covered her face and cried. "How could you do something like that? I thought you were murdered!"

"Aw, don't cry, Zelda. Where's your sense of humor?"

Zelda glowered at her father before stomping away. The king shrugged his shoulders and wiped the fake blood from his clothes. "All right! The fun's over, people."

"You need to learn when it's time to be funny and time to be serious. You had Zelda believe you were killed!" Ruto scolded, walking away in a fit.

"Hey! I can be serious! That is, when I want to be serious! Why don't people believe I have a serious side to me?" the king cried out, following behind the group parting from him. "C'mon now, everyone! Wait for me! I'm sorry! Hey! Did you hear me?"

**Notes: **Another random chapter. Thanks for all the feedback.


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

The group had walked for a short time to their next destination. It was a desolate area north of the castle where trees were the only inhabitants that dared to live there. The group remained silent during their trip. Even the king had decided not to speak. Everyone was still taken aback by the incident that had happened earlier. 

The king cleared his throat. "Well, we're here."

The group remained silent, crossing their arms and glowering at their leader. The king frowned, sighing inwardly as he met their angry stares. "_What a stubborn group of youngsters,"_ the king thought to himself as he turned away from the group.

Impa, who had plenty of tolerance, separated herself from the group and approached the king. She shook her head. "I believe the group would like an explanation for your actions before we can begin the next round."

"Yeah, an explanation would be nice," Nabooru commented, rolling her eyes.

The king turned back toward the group and sighed. "Well, you know me. I'm just full of surprises."

Ruto quirked an eyebrow. "That's not much of an explanation."

"I'm the king. I don't have to explain myself," he said with a shrug. "I said I was sorry and that's all there is to be said about that. We have other things to worry about. I suggest you remember why you are all here."

He had always hated explaining himself. But the truth was, he had not thought of a good explanation for his actions. Saying, "I did it because I thought it was funny," would not only be a poor explanation, but he knew it would make the group even angrier than they already were. He shook his head. "_Oh, Daphnes, you old man. You sure know how to make people hate you."_

"If everyone is ready now, we will begin your next challenge," the king said abruptly. "As you can see before you, there is a passage leading to an underground maze of sorts. Inside the maze there will be several passages but only one leads to the exit. Finding that one passage will be harder than it sounds. You will also have many different traps awaiting you," the king explained with a stern expression. "Any questions?"

"Um… What kind of traps?" asked Ruto nervously.

The king shook his head. "You'll just have to wait and see for yourselves. But I assure you, there's nothing that the five of you cannot handle."

"I hate it when he says stuff like that," Ruto said, slouching her shoulders.

"If no one else has anything to say then we will begin," the king pointed toward the entrance. "There's no time limit in which you need to reach the exit in. Feel free to take your time."

Nabooru peaked in the cavern and frowned. "It's dark. I hope you're going to give us some torches."

"You'll have to find your way with your instincts. If I give you any light, that's just making it too easy for you," he answered casually.

Nabooru sighed. "Right. How could I forget?"

The group slowly made their way toward the entrance of the maze. They stood before their next challenge with nothing but discomfort for it. Ruto turned toward the group. "I think we should stick together. That way it'll be easier for us to help each other if something happens."

"That's a great idea," Malon chirped.

"Pfft. You forget this is a competition. It's every woman for herself," commented Nabooru casually.

Darunia cleared his throat.

"And Goron," she sighed, rolling her eyes.

Ruto pouted. "Yeah, I suppose sometimes it's easy to forget why we are doing this."

"Is everyone ready?" the king asked.

The group nodded. They were as ready as they were ever going to be. There was no need to stall any longer than necessary.

"Go!"

At the sound of his command, the group pressed forward into the maze. Turning back was the last thing on their mind.

"Zelda?"

Standing at the foot of the maze's entrance, she turned around at the sound of her name. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry for what I did earlier," her father apologized, scratching his neck nervously. "I hope you won't stay mad at me for too long."

"This is not the first time you have done something like this," she replied, slightly sighing. "But you are my father and I still love you regardless."

He smiled. "So you're not mad at me?"

"Who said I wasn't?" she said with a slight frown painted on her face.

The king laughed nervously. "You better hurry up before the others find the entrance before you."

Zelda shook her head and entered the maze. The king sighed and turned around toward Link and Impa. "Shall we stand at the exit and wait for the others now? I wouldn't want to miss out on who's going to be the first to come out of the maze."

Link shrugged his shoulders. "All right."

The king took two steps. "All right! Here's the exit!"

Link face-faulted. "You mean to tell me the exit is the entrance?"

The king nodded. "Yep. I wonder how long it'll take the girls to figure it out."

Link slapped his forehead. "This is going to be a long day."

* * *

After the group had entered the cavern they quickly separated to search for the exit. Malon, on the other hand, found the decision to search alone was not only a bad idea but also a dangerous idea, too. The young woman sighed as she walked through the dimly lit cavern. Although the king had provided the group with absolutely zero lighting, the cavern had several torches here and there. It wasn't much, but Malon was still thankful. 

She had been walking for what seemed like several hours. Her feet were giving out on her. However, Malon pressed forward knowing if she did stop she would have a higher chance of being last to finish. "At this rate," the young girl sighed wearily, "I will be the last to finish. The cavern is either really big or I'm just going around in circles. I'm sure the others aren't having this much trouble. They're probably already out of this stupid maze."

Malon rested her back against the wall of the cave, sliding down slowly until she was seated. The ground was hardly the most comfortable chair but she was in no position to complain.

The red-headed woman stared at her feet. "I really shouldn't push myself so hard. A little break won't hurt," she mumbled to herself as she wiggled her toes. "Maybe if it weren't for these boots my feet wouldn't hurt so much," she sighed and closed her eyes.

Things had changed. Her once simple life on the ranch had become a chaotic adventure. All she knew growing up was the ranch. That was all she needed to know. But after that fateful day she was running from deadly cuccos, swimming in shark infested water, blinding innocent joggers with nude photos of the king, running aimlessly through countless mazes, and helping the king make all the animals in Hyrule extinct by eating at his pointless feasts.

Her life was anything but boring.

Despite everything Malon had to endure, she had not forgotten the reason she was in the competition. With a nod the young woman picked herself up from the ground. "I'm pressed for time. If I don't finish before any of the others, I'll be out of the competition for good."

Malon began walking briskly down the passageway. She had a feeling that she had taken the wrong turn earlier. "Maybe if I just backtrack I'll find the exit," she mumbled to herself as she picked up the pace until she heard a 'click' noise. She stopped. "What was--AHHH!"

She had discovered her first trap. The floor beneath her revealed an opening leading to a bottomless pit. However, Malon had grabbed the side of the ground and could do nothing but hang on. She gulped, refusing to look down. "_Oh! If I fall I'm a goner for sure. I have to pull myself up…!"_

Using her arm strength Malon began pulling herself from the hole. Despite her efforts the rock began cracking under her strength. Malon bit her lip. "_The ground is going to crumble! I'm almost out… Just a little…"_

But she didn't make it.

* * *

Link paced back and forth outside the entrance of the maze. It had been three hours since the group had began their challenge. None of the contestants had made it out of the cavern. He stopped momentarily to give his legs a rest. "Are you sure there is nothing in there that could kill them?" he asked. 

"For the one hundredth time, Link, no there is nothing in there that would kill them. Stop being so paranoid," the king replied, waving his hand casually.

Link quirked an eyebrow. "You always say that."

"Someone is coming out," Impa commented as she watched the exit. "No, wait. Three people are coming out."

Link turned his head toward the exit. "_Malon…?"_

"Zelda! You made it!" the king chirped. "Congratulations!"

"Hey! We made it, too!" Ruto barked.

"Pfft. The only reason why you made it was because you followed Zelda," Nabooru poked the Zora Princess. "You're a sly one."

Ruto crossed her arms and turned away. "You're one to be talking! You followed her, too! Don't think I didn't notice you creeping around in the shadows."

Nabooru shrugged. "I had a feeling our little princess here would find the exit. So I just followed her. There's no shame in that. At least we're out."

Ruto nodded. "Yeah! Oh Linky-poo! I'm one step closer to becoming your wife!"

Link cowered behind Impa. "That's…great, Ruto."

The king rubbed his chin. "Now I wonder who will come out next."

"I say it'll be Darunia. I'm sure that ranch girl has already fallen into one of those traps," Ruto replied with a nod. "Darunia wouldn't fall for one of those lousy traps."

Nabooru grinned. "You're just saying that because you're in _love_ with Darunia."

Ruto glowered. "I am not!"

"One day the two of you will have children that will rule over both Zora's Domain and Death Mountain," Nabooru commenting, holding in her laughter. "Ah! Just picture the little rascals. A rock with a fish head."

Link snorted, trying his best to hold in his laughter as well.

"That's not funny, Link!" Ruto snapped.

The king and Zelda watched from the sidelines. The two looked at each other and shrugged. "And I thought I was weird," the king said, frowning.

"Yes, so did I," Zelda replied, shrugging her shoulders.

* * *

"_This is it, isn't it? I'm sorry, Link,"_ she thought as the rock caved away under her hand. She closed her eyes tightly and awaited the cold ground to crash into her. 

But it never came. She had stopped in midair.

"_What? What's happening? I'm still alive…"_

She opened her eyes and looked up, meeting the face of her savior. "Darunia!"

"Hang on," he said, pulling the young woman from the hole with ease.

Malon sighed in relief as she was pulled from the trap onto solid ground. She wanted to kiss the ground but decided against it. "Thank you so much, Darunia! I didn't think I was going to make it!"

He helped the red-headed woman off the ground and smiled. "I made it just in time. I didn't think _I_ was going to make it."

"How did you know where I was?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Eh. I was following you," he replied, turning away from the Hylian woman.

"Why were you following me? Did you think I would find the exit or something?"

He laughed nervously. "Actually, no. That's not why I was following you."

Malon cleared her throat. "Oh. Really? Then would you like to explain to me why you were following me?"

Darunia turned around and faced the young woman. "I… I made a promise to Link that I'd watch over you. If you died, then I wouldn't be much of a friend, would I?"

Malon glowered. "So he still doesn't think I can take care of myself!"

Darunia threw his hands up defensively. "I never said that, Malon! He knows you can take care of yourself. I'm just trying to help you win the competition, that's all."

"Huh? Why do you want to help me? I thought you wanted to win the competition yourself," she asked, confused at the Goron's words.

He slouched his shoulders and sighed. "It's a long story," he looked at her face only to see her waiting for him to continue. Darunia sighed again. "The king asked me to participate a while ago. I declined his offer after he explained the situation to me. However, when he threatened to take away Dodongo's Cavern from my people, that was when I had no choice but to participate in his competition."

Malon covered her mouth in shock. "How awful! Why would he threaten to do something like that?"

"I'm guessing it would ruin the course of his plans if I did not play his game. He's always been a man of strict schedule," Darunia added with a shrug. "He has always been good-humored but I'm guessing this is more than the usual prank. There has to be something to gain through this."

"Yes, I'm sure there is," Malon replied almost inaudibly.

"Ever since the king became ill several months ago, he seems to have changed," the Fire Sage said with a nod.

"Ill?" asked Malon. "The only thing ill about him is his mind."

Darunia shook his head, frowning. "No, Malon. Around four months ago the king became sick. He's not a young man anymore. But I have to give the man credit for his energy. He's never been one to admit his weaknesses."

"Hmm," Malon looked down in thought. "_Everything is beginning to make more since. He became sick four months ago. If I remember correctly from what I read, he began planning this competition four months ago."_

Darunia narrowed his eyes. "I have a feeling you know something. Care to share it with me?"

Malon looked up suddenly. "Uh… What do you mean?"

"You know something and you're not telling me," Darunia shook his head. "I need to find out what he's planning. There's something strange about this whole competition."

Malon looked away. "All right. I'll tell you what I know," she paused momentarily. "I began having suspicions about the competition, too. Everything just seemed so… planned. So one night I snuck into the king's office and found some papers about the competition."

"So you know what it is all about?" Darunia said with a hint of hope in his voice.

"Sort of. It wasn't much," she replied in an almost whisper. "The competition is rigged, if it wasn't obvious before. He began planning this competition four months ago."

Darunia's eyes widened. "Four months ago… That was when he became ill. And if this competition is rigged, then Princess Zelda will be the winner."

"Meaning Zelda will be Link's wife," Malon added grimly.

"But why would he want Link to marry Zelda?" Darunia asked with his finger wrapped under his chin. "There must be something more to this. The king would never do something so rash."

"I don't know. That's all I know," Malon answered hastily.

Darunia cocked his eyebrow. "I see. Have you told Link?"

Malon shook her head.

"Why haven't you? If you tell Link what is happening, he'll have enough leverage to stop this competition. Link has his suspicions too about this competition but he's not aware of this knowledge you have. If you can just tell Link everything you told me, this competition will be over," Darunia said, firmly placing his hands on the young woman's shoulders.

"I know…"

Darunia released Malon's shoulders and looked away. "You're a good person, Malon. But you're making a bad decision by not telling Link."

Malon sighed. "If I could impede the king's plans by winning the competition then it'll show everyone that I'm not just some commoner."

"I'm getting the feeling you want to win because of more, right?"

Malon looked away. "I want to win. At first, I hated the idea. But look how far I've come. I know I'm being selfish, and I'm reminded of it every morning I wake up. I'm reminded of my own selfish desires every time I see Link."

"You can't force Link into marrying you by winning this competition. It'll never work like you think it will," Darunia added. "And I think you've already impeding enough on the king's plans. When things don't go his way, it begins to show."

Malon pouted. "You're not going to tell Link this, are you?"

Darunia shook his head. "It's not my place to tell him."

Malon turned her head away. "_What should I do now?"_

"The exit is this way. Are you coming?"

The red-headed woman jerked her head back toward the Goron. "How did you know where the exit was?"

"I followed a certain group," he half-smiled. "Everyone else is already out."

Malon's jaw dropped. "Why didn't you just leave when you found it?"

"I had a feeling you were in trouble. So, I decided to follow your tracks. Aren't you glad I didn't leave the maze when I could?" Darunia said, waggling his eyebrows.

Malon laughed. "Very glad!"

"Listen," he said solemnly. "I wanted to stay in this competition for as long as I could to find out what was really happening. But I'm going to leave everything up to you now."

She nodded. "All right."

"You better get going now. I'm sure Link is worried about you."

She smiled and quickly ran forward. "_Thank you, Darunia."_

The light shining from the exit of the maze grew with every step she took. She began picking up her pace. She was almost there.

_Click._

Malon stopped abruptly. "_Another trap? Not now!"_

The young woman stepped back, looking around the area for anything out of place. She refused to let her guard down again so easily. She looked back toward Darunia. "Wait! Where is he?"

Turning back toward the exit of the maze, he noticed a huge boulder rolling toward her. "_Damn! I let my guard down again!_"

Before she could react, Darunia appeared before her and pushed the frightened woman aside. He held out his hands, stopping the boulder with his inhuman strength. However, his strength alone was not enough to hold it back. The slope in which he stood on gave the boulder more leverage over the strong Goron. He winced, struggling to hold the boulder back. "Go! I can't hold it back for too long!"

"I'm not just going to leave you!" Malon yelled, pushing herself from the ground.

"I'll be fine! Just get out of here!"

Malon bit her lip. She knew there was nothing she could do to save him. Malon quickly ran passed the Goron and headed toward the exit.

"Malon!"

She stopped, turning back toward Darunia.

"Tell Link he owes me one!" he called out, wincing in pain.

Malon nodded, leaving the Goron behind.

* * *

The king held his hand above his eyes, shielding them from the sun's beams. He looked toward the entrance of the maze. "I think I see someone coming out." 

"Twenty rupees it's Darunia," Ruto said smugly.

Zelda sighed. "Don't you think this is a little childish?"

"What? You know I'm right."

"You shouldn't bet on your fellow comrades," Zelda said, rubbing her temples in frustration.

"Comrades? This is a competition! I didn't come here to make friends!"

Nabooru looked toward the entrance. She grinned, turning toward the Water Sage. "You know what, Ruto. I'll take you up on that bet. I'm sure that little ranch girl will pull through."

"Hah! I'll show you! You're on," Ruto boasted loudly, looking toward the entrance. However, her smile soon faded once she saw Malon coming from the entrance. "Ah! You know, I don't really like bets much."

"Too late!" Nabooru cackled, snatching the twenty rupees from Ruto's hands.

"Ooh! Someone just got owned!" the king chirped in the background.

"I hate you all," Ruto cursed bitterly.

"Malon!" Link called out. "You did it!"

Malon stopped at the entrance of the cavern, turning back toward the maze. "Darunia… Thank you."

"Malon? Are you all right?" Link asked, running up to the tired woman.

"Darunia wanted me to tell you that you owe him," she said, smiling faintly.

Link tilted his head, not quite understanding what she meant.

"Well, it looks like we're down to four competitors now," the king added as he stepped forward. "I think it's time to go back to the castle to celebrate," he smiled, turning around and pointing toward a carriage as it came into view. "I decided you shouldn't have to walk all the way back to the castle. Free rides for everyone!"

Despite their lack of energy, the group eagerly ran toward the carriages. The king turned back toward Impa, giving the Sheikah woman a small nod before he entered the carriage with the others.

"Why isn't Impa coming?" asked Link.

"She's going to wait for another carriage," the king replied quickly. "It's already crowded as it is."

"I see," Link responded as the carriage quickly took off.

* * *

"Are you all right?" asked the Sheikah woman, kneeling down at the figure in front of her. 

Darunia moaned, rubbing his head. "Impa? Is that you?"

She nodded, handing him a bottle of red potion. "You helped Malon, didn't you? That was kind of you to sacrifice your spot for her."

The Goron took the bottle and quickly devoured the drink. He wiped his mouth once he finished the potion and gave the bottle back to the Sheikah. "Why did you come here?" he asked, ignoring her previous comments.

"I came to check on you," she paused. "Orders from the king."

Darunia scoffed but did not reply.

Impa stood and extended a hand to Darunia. "You are aware that he was never planning on taking away Dodongo's Cavern from you, aren't you? You're free to leave anytime you want."

Darunia looked at Impa in surprise. "You sound confident."

"You sound oblivious," she countered.

Darunia narrowed his eyes. "Why would he threaten something like that in the first place?"

Impa shrugged. "He's full of surprises. You, of all people, should know that."

"You're the king's second in command. You must know everything he does," he added, taking her hand as she pulled him from the ground.

"Yes. I do," she replied with a simple answer.

"Then tell me what you know about this competition," he demanded.

"I am not at liberty to say," she turned away. "If you're all right now, then we shall be leaving. We have a carriage waiting to take you home."

Darunia lowered his head and followed the woman from the cavern. "_It's up to Malon now to stop this competition. I just hope she'll do the right thing."_

**Notes: **Looks like Darunia is going home. Now we're down to four competitors! The competition is nearing the end. I wonder if Malon will come clean and tell Link everything. Hmm. Thanks for all the feedback and keep reading!


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

Dinner. Link remembered how he used to love it. Once he moved into the castle, however, his opinion of his favorite meal time changed significantly. Link sighed, propping his head up with his elbow carelessly on the table. He stared at his plate, quirking the corners of his lips in a questionable manner. Noticing something odd with his food, his eye twitched in an annoyed manner.

Grumbling, he poked his food once, then twice. Link narrowed his eyes as he examined his food closely. Something was wrong, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"I could have sworn my food just moved," he said as if he were speaking more to himself than to the others at the table. He poked his food once more for good measure. One could never be too sure around the king.

"No shit, Link! It's still alive!" Nabooru, crossing her arms, called out from across the table. She exhaled loudly as she propped her feet onto the table. She grumbled loudly, swatting the feathers away with her hand. "He didn't even de-feather it, much less cook it."

The king ran around the table trying to catch his dinner. He flailed his arms above his head, only adding more to the infantile manner of which he choose to apprehend his food. Suddenly he stopped, drooping his shoulder slightly as he pouted like a child. "We were pressed for time! I thought we'd cook it ourselves," he turned toward the group. "You know, maybe this was a bad idea."

"Yeah. When did you realize that?" asked Nabooru, sarcasm oozing from her voice like honey.

Crossing his arms over his chest, the king cocked an eyebrow and blatantly ignored the Gerudo's comment. He was obviously not in the mood to deal with the thief's sarcastic remarks. The older man made his way around the table and took a seat. He stared at the group for a moment; their eyes widened as the wild cuccos ran in front of them across the table.

The king scratched his neck nervously. "Maybe it's time to go to bed. We've had a long day."

The group had no rejections to the king's proposal and quickly stood from the table. As they were walking out from the dining room, Link stopped and turn toward Malon who was still seated. Her head hung low, almost as if she were in deep thought. Link's face softened as he approached the young woman and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Mal?" he asked sincerely.

The young woman looked up and smiled faintly. "Oh. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Link narrowed his eyes and gently squeezed Malon's shoulder. "_Something's wrong…"_

The king approached the two from behind. He wiggled his nose slightly in annoyance. "Ah, I'm sure she's just exhausted from the competition today. Isn't that right, Marin."

"…Malon," corrected Link, narrowing his eyes dangerously at the king.

"Ah. That's right," the king replied, scratching his head nervously.

Malon stood without saying a word. She bowed gratefully and quietly walked toward the exit. Link opened his mouth to call for Malon, but no words came. He stood, staring blankly at the exit with his mouth opened.

"_I'm worried… I've never seen her act like this. What's wrong with her?"_ he thought to himself.

"Link, I think we should talk."

Link turned toward the king who was standing behind him. The older man had a stern expression written across his face that could only mean one thing. Link scratched his neck nervously, wondering what the king wanted from him.

"Um… What do you need to talk to me about?" he asked, still focusing his attention on Malon.

"We need to have a heart-to-heart talk," he answered simply, motioning for Link to take a seat. Link cocked his eyebrow, keeping his ground with nothing but a straight face. The king cleared his throat, noticing Link was not going to comply with his request.

"About what?" asked Link finally, slightly annoyed with the king.

"Well…" the king paused, bringing a finger to his chin in thought. Link sighed, slapping his forehead. Why did he have to ask? The king looked at Link and grinned. "I wanted to give you lessons on how to be a man."

Link almost stumbled over in shock. "What did you just say?"

"Well, lately, I've been told you've been a _girly man_. So I thought I'd toughen you up," the king laughed, patting Link roughly on the back. "You up for it?"

"No! No I'm not!" Link yelled out, still in shock from the king's statement.

"Be a man, Link! Wear pink dresses!"

"…I'm leaving now."

"You're a wussy!"

"…What?"

"Just walk out on your wife and kids! You better pay child support this month!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't have a wife or kids," Link grumbled, wishing he were dead at that moment.

"Sure! That's what you tell all those other girls so you can cheat on wife!"

"…" Link clenched his fists. The king was getting on his last nerve.

"Blah! Blah! Blah!"

Link growled inwardly. "_Restrain yourself, Link… Don't punch him in his face… Don't stab him in his abdomen from fifty feet in the air while I'm wearing all black and a long, silver wig and calling myself Sephiroth… Uh… Where did that come from?"_

"Ah, I'm just joking with you Link. No need to get all worked up," the king laughed, pulling Link from his thoughts. "Some people these days. Why does everyone have to take everything seriously?"

The Hero of Time grumbled several curses under his breath. "Are you finished irritating me now?" he spat dangerously.

The king scoffed, turning away from Link. The boy was as stiff as a board when it came to jokes. "The competition is almost over. What will you do after the winner has been announced, Link?" the king asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"I don't know…" replied Link, looking down at his feet.

The king shook his head and walked toward the exit. "Well, I think you should take it easy for now. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

Link creased his brow as he watched the king leave the room. Turning to his side, Link sighed as he thought of what to do next. "Malon… I wonder what's gotten into her."

* * *

She sighed, looking at her reflection in the water. Malon sat on the edge of the water fountain in the garden, kicking her feet lazily back and forth. Ever since she had returned from the competition, she was ashamed to speak to Link. Not only had she lied to him, she was solely responsible for the continuation of the competition.

She had the power to stop the competition yet she did nothing to end it. Malon found herself nibbling on her lower lip, remembering the words Darunia had told her.

"I truly am selfish. Even if I did win the competition, I would have to live with the fact that Link and I were _forced_ into marriage and not of our own free wills," Malon whispered to herself, splashing the water with her hand. "Is that what I really want?" she asked herself bitterly.

"Psst."

Malon quickly looked up. "Huh? What was that?"

"Malon! Over here!"

The red-haired girl looked toward the direction of the voice. Seeing nothing, she knitted her eyebrows together. Was she hearing things or was someone really calling her? Standing up, Malon walked over toward the stone column near the center of the garden.

"Hello? Is someone out here?" asked Malon insecurely.

Suddenly a hand forcefully came over her mouth, ceasing her voice. Malon's eyes widened in shock as her body tensed. "_What! What's happening?"_

"Shh! Don't make any noises!"

Acting on instinct, Malon began kicking wildly and screaming muffled shrieks into the man's hand. He grabbed her arm roughly, quickly ending the girl's protests. It was then that Malon noticed something odd about the stranger.

His hand felt like a rock.

"It's me, Malon… Darunia. You have to be quiet so I don't get caught," he said gently, releasing the girl.

Malon narrowed her eyes and rubbed her sore arm. "What was that for? You scared me to death!"

Darunia flinched, thinking Malon was about to swing at him. "I'm sorry, Malon. I didn't mean to scare you."

Malon sighed. "What are you doing here? I thought you went back home."

"I did. But I this nagging feeling in my mind that I should return," he explained, shrugging his shoulders some. "Did you tell Link?"

Malon crossed her arms. "Is that why you came back? You just wanted to know if I told him or not."

"Maybe. I had a feeling you weren't going to tell him. I'm guessing from your reaction, you haven't," he answered simply, quirking his eyebrows. "How much longer are you going to keep this up?"

"If all you're going to do is lecture me about right and wrong, then you're better off going back home. I'm not in the mood to hear it, Darunia," Malon hissed bitterly, walking away from the Goron.

Darunia grabbed the girl's arm to stop her from running away from him. "Listen. Link is like a brother to me. I want to help him. He's miserable with this stupid competition," he paused, glowering at the feisty woman. "If you really cared about him like you say you do, then you'd stop this right now."

Malon jerked her arm away from the Fire Sage. If he were not made of rock, Malon would have struck him across the face. However, quickly deciding she valued the feeling in her hand, she opted against it. "How dare you tell me that I don't care about him! What right do you have to tell me how I feel about someone?"

Darunia looked away. "I'm sorry. You're right. I have no right to tell you how you feel about Link. I'm only trying to look out for him."

Malon's face softened slightly. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I've been a little edgy lately."

"That's understandable. I'd be edgy to if I were in this competition as long as you've been," Darunia laughed. "Listen though. You've become a good friend of mine, and Link thinks the world of you. I'm just looking out for the two of you. Or at least, I'm trying to."

Malon smiled faintly, looking away. "Thank you, Darunia. But I'd really appreciate it if you could stay out of my business," she replied softly, trying to sound as nice as she could.

Darunia nodded. "_As much as you'd like that, I don't think I could leave you to your business if your business includes forcing Link into marrying you. You're taking advantage of this competition; you're using it for your own personal gain. I really don't think I could let you be as you are," _he deemed, crossing his arms.

"Malon? Are you out here?"

Both Malon and Darunia jumped, startled at the voice calling Malon from a distance. Malon knew who it was calling for her. "_He never gives up, does he?"_ Malon thought, sighing inwardly.

"Uh-oh. I can't let him see me," Darunia said, looking around frantically. "I'm not supposed to be here. If I'm caught, there's going to be some serious trouble."

Malon looked at the bushes next to her. Thinking hastily, she pushed the huge Goron into the undergrowth. Darunia landed on his face with a loud 'oof'.

"Ow!"

"Hide there!" she demanded softly, dusting her hands off after the deed was finished.

"Malon? Is that you?" Link asked as he approached the young woman.

"Yes. It's me, Link."

"Hey, are you okay? I've been looking for you everywhere."

"I'm fine," she replied austerely.

"You've been acting differently since we came back from the competition earlier today," he paused, standing in front of the red-headed girl. "Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

Malon smiled faintly, turning away from him. "You worry too much, Link."

Her answer wasn't good enough for Link. He only frowned and tightened his eyes, grabbing her shoulders gently. "Hey now! I only worry so much about you because I--"

He stopped himself before he continued his sentence.

He scratched his neck nervously. "Uh… I mean… Of course I'm worried about you. I know there's something bothering you. Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Malon looked down at her feet. Wrapping her arms around her back, she began swaying back and forth nervously. "Well… It's really nothing."

Link smirked. "Nothing, eh?"

Malon scowled, knowing Link wasn't buying anything she had said.

Link tilted his head sideways. "I won't force you to tell me anything. But you know I'm always here for you if you need to tell someone."

Malon felt more guilty after hearing his words. How could she do this to him?

"Link… Listen… I really have to tell you something," said Malon, shuffling her feet nervously. She closed her eyes and swallowed the knot forming in her throat. "_This is it… I have to tell him… I have to end the competition…"_

Link looked down at the girl, cocking an eyebrow in a curious manner. "Yes?"

Malon took a deep breath. "_Why am I so nervous? How hard is it to tell him the truth…? Is it because… because I don't want to…?"_

"Mal, please tell me. If there's anything I can do to make you feel better, I'll do it," he smiled warmly, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.

"Link… Your… Your-pants-are-unzipped!" Malon suddenly blurted out, turning away from Link's attentive gaze.

Link's eyes widened, looking down. "What! Huh…? I'm not wearing any pants Malon…"

Malon turned to walk away. She couldn't do it. "_This wasn't my problem to begin with… But now I've turned this whole competition into my problem… I have to deal with it myself… But… It's not only my problem; It's his problem, too."_

Link grabbed Malon's arm and pulled her back. Gasping, Malon lost her footing and crashed gracelessly into his chest.

They said nothing for a brief moment. Instead, Link wrapped his arms around her small frame, pulling her closer into his chest.

Malon placed her hands lightly on his chest. "Link…"

"Malon… I want to free you from whatever it is that's bothering you… But I can't if you don't tell me," he said in a soft whisper. "You know I hate it when you keep things from me," he tightened his grip on her.

Malon rested her head on his shoulder. Her heart began racing faster and faster. Oh how she loved being in his arms. "Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would do anything to get it, even if you knew that the means to get what you wanted were wrong?"

Link was silent for a moment. "I don't know… I don't know if I could ever do that if the only means to get it were wrong. I would always regret it."

Malon looked down, closing her eyes. "I see…"

Link rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes. "Have you ever wanted something so badly but you know that you could never truly have it?"

Malon lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "Link…"

Breathing in the scent of her hair, he tightened his grip around the girl. "Malon, I need to tell you something…"

"Yes?"

"Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na! Kiss the girl!"

Malon slapped her forehead, restraining the laughter wanting to burst free from her lips. "_That idiot! What is he thinking?"_

Link released Malon and looked around the garden suspiciously. "Did you hear that, Mal? It sounded like someone singing…"

"Oh… Um… I didn't hear anything," Malon laughed nervously. "Are you sure you're feeling well?"

Link twitched his eyebrow. "No, there's something in those bushes… I swear, if it's the king, you better hold me back, Mal."

"Maybe it's just crickets…"

"Singing?" Link replied dryly, crossing his arms in response.

"Well… You never know…"

Link approached the bushes, pulling his sword from its sheath. Malon covered her eyes, fearing what would happen next. Link began poking the undergrowth with his sword. After a few moments, he stopped. Nothing. He sighed, sheathing his sword. He eyed the bushes once more before turning toward Malon.

"Hmm… Maybe I'm hearing things…"

Malon sighed in relief. Maybe things were finally agreeing with her.

"ACHOO! Ugh… Excuse me…"

Link quickly turned back toward the bushes. "There _is_ someone there!" he cried out furiously. Without another thought, he ran toward the bushes and mercilessly tackled the figure hiding. "UGH! Stop stalking me, King! Just leave Mal and me alone!"

"Link! Stop it!" Malon shouted, trying to pull Link out from the bushes.

"Ahhh! Stop! I'm not the king!"

"…Darunia?" Link stopped, pulling his hands away from the Goron's large neck. "What the hell are you doing here…in the bushes?"

"It's a long story…"

Link stood up and dusted off his tunic. "I have all night. Start explaining."

"Link…" Malon said softly, feeling the anger resonating from him.

Darunia straightened his posture. "I came back because evil lurks within the walls of the castle."

Link scoffed loudly. "Yes. I know. His name is King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. You might be familiar with him," he replied sarcastically. "Darunia, I have no idea why you've come back or why you were hiding in those bushes watching Malon and me. But, I'd really appreciate it if you would stop fooling around and get to the point."

Malon lowered her head. "_He's so angry… If I told him the truth, would he be this angry with me?"_

Darunia nodded, understanding the younger man's frustration. "I'm sorry," he began, bowing slightly. "I returned to the castle because I cannot let this _mystery_ remained unsolved."

Link narrowed his eyes, turning his attention toward Malon. He half-smiled and sighed. "Darunia, I understand. But I don't think this is the right time to talk about…that."

Malon furrowed her eyebrows and lowered her eyes. "_He has no idea I'm aware of what's going on…"_

Darunia turned to Malon and smiled. "I see. Perhaps we should discuss this in private."

Link nodded. "Sounds good, but not tonight. It's getting late."

"Right."

"What are you going to do now, Darunia?" asked Link.

"Ah… I have a little trick up my sleeve to ensure I'll stick around the castle a little longer," he grinned evilly. "I'll see you two soon."

"Huh? Trick?" Malon frowned. "I wonder what he has planned."

Link shrugged, pulling the girl along with him. "Hmm. I don't know. I'm sure it's something stupid anyway," he paused and smiled at the girl. "Listen, I think you should get some rest now. It's been a rough day for you."

Malon let out a small sigh and smiled. "You're right. I am getting tired."

"All right. Good night, Malon," he nodded once and departed from the garden without another word.

Malon sighed and sunk to the ground. "_Why do the goddesses hate me so!"_

* * *

"Good morning, my little darlings!" the king chirped loudly, throwing his arms energetically in the air. "I know I sent for you much earlier than usual, but we need to continue with our little competition."

Nabooru, who had rested her head on the table, woke up and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Again? We just had a round yesterday. You're working us too hard."

The king shook his head. "I disagree! I don't think I've been working you girls hard enough. Besides, I don't want any of you slacking off even more than usual."

The girls sighed, trying to keep awake for the king's long and pointless explanations.

"Actually, before we begin, I wanted to do something differently," he smiled widely. "It came to me last night when I was sleeping."

"Joy. Can I go back to sleep now?" replied Nabooru, yawning.

The king ignored the woman and continued. "I decided I wanted to have a question and answer time with you girls. You'll write a question for me and stick it in this lovely box here. Then I'll read your question and answer it! Sounds like fun, eh?"

"No."

"Great! Let's get started!" he exclaimed, passing several slips of paper around the table.

Not wasting any time, the girls jotted down a simple question and placed their paper into the 'happy box' the king held out for them. The king chuckled in delight as he dug his hand into the box. Grabbing a hold of a piece of paper, he pulled it out and opened it.

"All right, first question! This is from Nabooru," he began. "'Why do you suck?'"

Everyone snickered.

The king narrowed his eyes, wadding the paper into a ball and tossing it over his shoulders. "Well, Nabooru, I'll be very frank with you; Your question sucks!"

"Oooh. Good comeback," she rolled her eyes. "Got anymore you want to share with us?"

The king sighed, rubbing his temple in frustration. "I think this little segment is over. Shall we begin our daily exercise?"

Ruto sighed. "Do we really have to? Can't we have one day off?"

The king shook his head. "Now, that wouldn't be very fair would it?"

"Um… Yes it would."

"Anyway!" the king shouted loudly to drown out the Zora's complaints. "We're actually staying here to do this next round. We'll go outside and we'll have a little race."

"Eeeeasy."

"But there's a stipulation," he nodded, smiling. "Your wrists and ankles will be chained to fifty pound weights. Sounds like fun, right?"

"…"

"Let's get going!"

"Excuse me," Impa suddenly walked into the meeting. She cleared her throat before she continued. "There's…someone here who wants to see you, Sir."

The king cocked his head sideways. "Oh. Really? I didn't expect any visitors. Tell whoever it is to wait; I'm very busy right now."

Impa looked over her shoulder at the visitor. Sighing, she turned back toward the king. "Actually, he--uh--she says it's very important."

Sighing, the king motioned for the two to enter the room. "All right. Please make it fast. I'm on a tight schedule, you see."

The visitor entered the room, making everyone double take. The visitor was a familiar-looking Goron dressed very, very girly--makeup and a frilly pink dress included.

"Darunia!" Ruto shouted in shock, jumping up from her seat suddenly. "W-what are you wearing?"

"No, my name is Darun--i--ana. Daruniana."

Link fell out of his chair. "_So this is his big plan? The king will never fall for it!"_

"Ah! Welcome Daruniana! You're a very pretty Goron, if I do say so myself," the king extended his hand to greet the visitor. "Welcome to Hyrule Castle!"

Link slapped his forehead. "_Oh Din! He did fall for it!"_

"…Darunia…" Zelda growled dangerously. "What in Heaven's name are you doing wearing such a ridiculous costume?"

"Oh whatever do you mean, Princess Zelda?" he replied; His girly voice was horrifying.

"You can't fool us," Nabooru laughed. "But I think that pink eye shadow and blush look splendid on you," she commented sarcastically, holding her sides as she laughed.

He narrowed his eyes. "And I think that huge nose looks wonderful on you," he retorted bitterly.

"Bastard! C'mere and say that to my face!" Nabooru jumped up from her seat, holding her fists in the air.

The king looked around the room, confused as always. "Uh… So, Daruniana. What brings you here?"

Darunia cleared his throat. "Well, the oh-so-wonderful, handsome, brave, strong leader of the Gorons, Darunia, asked me to come and assist you with your competition."

The king wrapped his finger around his chin. "Assist, eh?"

"Yes! I'm here to lend my assistance to your wonderful competition," Darunia crossed his fingers behind his back, praying the king will allow him to unknowingly rejoin the group.

"Hmm… I see," the king turned away, smirking.

Malon narrowed her eyes as she watched the king. "_Hmph. Not as dumb as he portrays himself to be…"_

The king turned around suddenly, and smiled widely. "Well, I think it's a great idea, _Daruniana_. I'm really in need of assistance right now. I'll have to thank Darunia for his _kind_ offer."

"Oh c'mon!" Link eyes the large Goron. "This is so stupid!"

The king held up his hand to silence the hero. "I think it's very kind of Darunia. We should accept his gift without reservation," he smiled. "Now, let's hurry outside. I have the track prepared for you all."

The group quickly followed the king out from the room. Malon sighed, looking down as she walked. She was tired and exhausted from the previous day. There was no way she could race with several fifty pound weights chained to her. She glanced up and stared at the king leading the group.

"_Darunia really thinks he's fooling the king. But really, it's the king who's fooling him… No, everyone. We're all pawns in this game of his…"_


	30. Chapter Thirty

The group had reluctantly followed their leader outside the castle where the next round of the competition was being held. The morning dew on the grass had yet to melt away as the sun slowly made its appearance, and the sky was painted with little droplets of pink and orange that gleamed vibrantly in their eyes. Although the sky resembled a work of art, they had no time to stop and admire the scenery. Instead, their eyes were locked on the small racing track the king had set up for them.

Malon studied the faces of her opponents. She narrowed her eyes slightly as she noticed neither fear nor worry gleaming in her challengers' eyes. Was she the only one who was truly worried? Was it because she was not as confident as the others were? Was it because she lacked power and strength unlike them?

Whatever it was, Malon sighed inwardly, looking away from the group. Her mind was set on one thing--to win the competition no matter what the cost. She did not have to be endowed by the goddesses with great power to prevail; Determination was enough for that. Malon closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

The end was drawing near. Failing now was not an option for her.

The king walked ahead of the group to check the preparations for the next round. The group sat on the grassy field as they watched the king's servants run around vigilantly, preparing for the competition. However, despite having extra time before the competition began to think and prepare herself, Malon was very anxious. All she thought about was getting the day over with. She sighed again, pulling her knees into her chest. Everything would be over sooner or later.

Darunia made his way over to the group, more specifically toward Ruto who had been sitting under a nearby tree. The large Goron sat down beside Ruto and smiled widely. "So, you don't like my outfit?" he asked jokingly.

"Did you really think you were going to fool everyone with that ridiculous costume?" she retorted without turning her head in his direction. "It's a little disappointing to see you act like this."

Darunia frowned slightly. "No, I knew better than that. But one could still hope."

"Why did you come back?" Ruto asked half-heartedly.

"Do you want my honest answer?" he asked in return, smiling sheepishly. "You know, we never did get along very well until after this competition."

Ruto smiled, looking at the grass below. "I know. We used to argue a lot," she turned and looked at him. "But I guess this competition has really changed all of us. Even Nabooru and I get along now, sometimes."

Darunia laughed. "Maybe there _is_ something good about this competition after all."

"Speaking of the competition, you never told me why you came back," she said, rolling her eyes. "Don't tell me you really do love Link."

Darunia narrowed his eyes. "Not quite… I came back for two reasons."

"Only two? Care to tell me what your reasons were?" Ruto asked curiously, propping her chin up with her knees.

"Uh… Well, one was more of a personal reason. The other was… Uh…" Darunia pulled nervously on the collar of his pink dress. "I came back because I wanted to… I wanted to stop you from making a big mistake."

"Me?" Ruto said, surprised. "Mistake? What are you talking about?"

"Do you really love Link like you've been saying for so long?" he asked, rubbing his hands on his dress. "I mean, do you really want to marry him?"

Ruto turned away. "Of course I do…"

Darunia scoffed. "You sound convincing."

The Zora narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Why do you suddenly care about how I feel? It's none of your business, Darunia. I'd appreciate it if you would stop with this stupid interrogation."

"I just don't want you to make a mistake," Darunia stood and brushed off the dirt on his dress. "Your _love _for him seems more like infatuation. And we all know that infatuation doesn't last forever," he replied walking away from the young woman.

Ruto looked down, sighing. "What does he know anyway…?"

The princess was suddenly pulled from her thoughts as she heard snickering from behind her. Ruto narrowed her eyes, sticking her head around the tree. "And how long have you been there?" she asked in an annoyed manner.

"Heh. Long enough to overhear a conversation," Nabooru replied, snickering. "Sounds to me like _Daruniana_ has a crush on someone."

Ruto suddenly felt embarrassed, covering her cheeks to hide her discomfiture. "Shut up, Nabooru! What makes you think you know it all?"

"Well, from your reaction, I think it's a mutual crush," Nabooru grinned. "Uh-oh! You better quit the competition now. You're in love with Darunia! Hah! Hah!"

"I am not in love with anyone!" Ruto paused to correct herself. "Except for Link, of course. In fact, Link and I will make very pretty babies one day who will rule both Zora's Domain and Hyrule! Our legacy will last for all of eternity!" she yelled out enthusiastically.

Unfortunately for Link, he happened to have walked by at that moment, overhearing Ruto's words. Link shuddered at the thought of having children with Ruto. But before he could take off running unnoticed, he trip and fell on his face. "Ugh!"

Malon quickly stood from her spot. She opened her mouth to ask Link if he was all right, but suddenly stopped when a flash of yellow ran by her.

"Link!" Zelda called out, running to his aid. "Are you okay?"

Nabooru held in her laughter. "Graceful, Link. You truly are the Hero of Time," she added sarcastically.

Ruto slapped her forehead and sighed. "_Maybe Darunia was right… Maybe I'm really just infatuated with him…"_

Zelda wrapped her arm around the fallen hero's waist and pulled him up. "You're too clumsy sometimes, Link," she smiled warmly. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Link touched his face with his hand. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He looked over Zelda's shoulder, noticing a frightening glare from Malon. Thankfully, Link noticed, the glare was not directed at him. However, he had never seen the girl so angry before. "_Why is Malon angry? I just fell on my face, and… Oh."_

It was then that he realized why she was upset. Link took Zelda's hands and removed them from his waist. "Uh… Thanks for the help but I can manage."

Zelda backed away, catching the hint he relayed from his words. "Well, I'm just glad you didn't hurt yourself."

"Is everyone ready now?" the king asked, walking up toward the group. He twitched his eyes involuntarily noticing Link's dirty face. "Were you _that_ hungry, Link?" he asked, amused by the younger man.

"No… I fell."

"Oh. That's too bad," the king waved his hand casually. "Dirt can be pretty tasty with the right sauce," he said with a small chuckle following suit.

"…"

He stopped laughing and noticed the odd looks from the group. "Not that I've eaten dirt…before… I was just… Forget it," the king slouched his shoulders. "I didn't come here to discuss eating dirt. I came to inform you ladies it's time for the competition," he said, clearing his throat some. "I hope you have taken advantage of this free time and prepared yourselves."

The girls nodded slowly as they followed quietly behind the king. He led them toward the small dirt path that had been set up as the racing track for the round of the competition. Several of the king's servants struggled with the weights as they dragged them toward the girls. Catching their breaths, they dropped the weights beside the girls.

The king smiled and looked up. "All right. We'll attached these weights to your wrists and ankles, and then you'll have to race to the other side of this track," he stopped and caught their eyes. "What? It's not _that_ hard."

Nabooru crossed her arms stubbornly. "Of course not. It's very simple," she sighed. "Except for the fact that each of these weights are around fifty pounds. How are we even going to be able to move?"

The king blinked. "Um… It's called will-power and determination! As long as you just believe, anything is possible!"

Ruto twitched. "And I'll just believe you're not insane. After all, _anything_ is possible."

Nabooru shook her head and patted the Zora on her shoulder. "Eh… I don't think that's possible. Sorry."

The king, turning around quickly, grumbled incoherent words under his breath. He sighed, allowing his shoulders to droop some before retaining his posture. With a smile he turned and faced the girls again. "If there aren't any more questions," he paused momentarily, "or complaints, then I think it's time to begin."

He clapped his hands together twice, and the servants began strapping the females with the weights. As soon as the weights were strapped to their wrists, the girls gracelessly toppled to the ground with a loud _thud_. The king shook his head as he held in his laughter. Nabooru grumbled as she slowly picked herself from the ground. Kneeling, she turned back toward the king and glowered.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" she asked bitterly.

"Of course not! Why would you think that?" the king replied, tossing his hands in the air defensively.

"Because you're grinning!"

"Ah… So I am," the king laughed. "You'll be fine. I'm sure this isn't the first time people have laughed at you."

"Ugh… I can't move my legs!" Ruto whimpered as she struggled to get to her feet. After several attempts, all which turned out as failures, the Zora princess decided to give up and remain in her current position on the ground. "This is not fair! These weights are too heavy!"

Zelda, who had managed to pull herself onto her knees and hands, sighed loudly as she struggled to keep from falling onto the ground. Malon, on the other hand, had slightly more arm strength compared to Zelda and Ruto. Although she also had a hard time with the weights, she faired better than other two princesses. With a small huff, Malon pulled herself onto her knees.

"_This is going to be…challenging,"_ she thought as she scanned the area. Although the finish line wasn't too far away, the fact that she would be weighed down by several weights was what worried her. "_I can do it though. I know I can."_

Link and Darunia watched from the sidelines as the girls struggled to get to their feet. Link shook his head, frowning. Did the king enjoy watching the girls suffer or was he just giving them a hard time for the heck of it? As Link's mind began to roam further, he was pulled from his thoughts by Darunia.

"You know," he began , holding his chin with his hand. "I have a feeling this is going to take a long time."

Link sighed and returned his attention toward the girls. "Gee, what makes you think that?" he asked sarcastically. "I mean, they're only wearing four fifty pound weights, and they can hardly stand."

Darunia shook his head. "You seem edgy today."

"And you're wearing a dress," Link turned toward the Goron. "I think that's a little odd."

"What!" Darunia frowned. "You wear _tights_! White ones at that! I think that's pretty odd, too."

Link lifted his finger and opened his mouth to protest, but before any words could be made, the king merrily pranced toward the two with a smile. "Everything is all set to go. Are you excited to see who advances, Link?" he asked, patting the young hero on the back.

"No."

"That's great, Link! I just love your enthusiasm!" the king laughed haughtily.

"Does he ever listen to you?" Darunia whispered in Link's ear.

Link shook his head. "Does he ever listen to anyone?"

"Eh… You got a point there."

"So Daruniana," the king began, turning his head toward the Goron. "How long do you plan on keeping me company? I'm surprised that Darunia would send me aid when I have Impa by my side."

Darunia gulped. "Well, the great and oh-so-powerful Darunia is allowing me to stay for as long as you need my assistance. He understands how hard this whole competition is for you," Darunia replied in his girly voice.

The king nodded, smiling. "That's great to hear! Darunia is showing so much support lately. I appreciate his kind gestures."

Darunia laughed nervously, pulling the collar to his dress slightly.

At that moment Impa approached the three men. "Your Majesty, everyone is prepared. You may start anytime you wish," she said in a monotone voice.

The king nodded and directed his attention toward the females who, with the help of the king's men, had managed to get into a readied position. The king sighed, puckering his lips to the side of his mouth. Regardless of how ridiculously pathetic the girls looked at that moment, the king knew stalling any longer was not an option.

"Everyone looks ready. Let's turn that frown upside down!" the king said energetically, trying to raise the girls' sprit. However, like always, he failed miserably.

"I hate you!" Ruto screamed out suddenly. "I don't deserve to be treated like this!"

The king's eye twitched involuntarily. He sighed, shaking his head in disapproval. "Stop complaining. You're the one who wanted to participate in this competition."

Ruto opened her mouth to reply but was cut short when the king raised his hand to silence her.

"Now, if everyone is finished complaining, I would like to get this competition started," he turned toward Impa. With a quick nod of the head, the Sheikah woman motioned for the king's servants to quickly stop what they were doing. As soon as they departed from the track, the king lifted his hand and smiled. "All right! On your mark! Get set! Go!"

The girls didn't move. Not because they didn't want to but because they _couldn't_.

The king sighed. "Um… You can start racing now."

"If I move, I'll lose my balance and fall over," Ruto retorted angrily. "And I just got my face off the ground!"

"Oh come on! The finish line is like five feet away!" the king threw his hands into the air.

"Five feet? Aren't you exaggerating some?" asked Zelda who slowly moved from the finish line.

"Okay, maybe a little. I say five and a half feet."

"Father!"

"Okay! Okay!" the king dropped his arms to his side. "If you need a little motivation, I have plenty to offer you girls. The first one to the finish line gets a cookie. Go for it!"

"A cookie! No way!" Nabooru replied sarcastically.

"Yeah!" the king laughed but stopped once he soon detected her sarcasm. "Oh…"

However, the females very slowly made their way from the starting point as the dragged the weights behind them. How they manage to accomplish this feat is unknown, but the king, nonetheless, was very proud they had managed to move three inches from the starting point within thirty minutes. He stood on the sidelines of the track cheering on the girls. Inside their minds, however, they wanted to throw one of the weights at his face.

As the minutes passed, their progression deteriorated quickly. Too exhausted from dragging the weights, the girls finally gave out. The king frowned inwardly. They were obviously not going to cross the finish line.

Impa tapped the king on his shoulder. "You know this was a bad idea, don't you?"

"Well," the king paused. "I have a better idea."

"Oh for the love of…" Link slapped his forehead.

Darunia patted Link on his shoulder. "I'm sure it won't be as bad as the last one."

Link narrowed his eyes at the Goron. "I wish I could believe you."

"No one will be eliminated today! And instead of having the competition today, we go to Goron City and visit Darunia!" the king shouted enthusiastically. "He can host dinner for us tonight!"

Darunia fell over in shock. "WHAT!"

The king frowned. "You don't like that idea, Daruniana?"

Clearing his throat, the Goron leader regained his composure. "Well, Darunia is such a busy Goron. I'm not sure if he has time tonight. He always has plans… He's always busy with being great and wonderful and all that other stuff, like dancing."

"Aw… I'm sure he won't mind us visiting him for a while," the king waved his hand nonchalantly. "I'm sure he would love hosting dinner for one night."

"But… But… We only have rocks for dinner," Darunia replied, drooping his shoulders to an extent.

"Well I guess we're having rocks tonight then!" the king motioned for the servants to undo the weights tied to the girls. "Get ready, girls! We leave in an hour!"

Darunia wanted to bawl like a little child. His plan was not working like he wanted it to.

Link approached the Goron from behind and patted his shoulders. "You're right. It was wasn't as bad as the last one."

Darunia narrowed his eyes dangerously at the hero. "I'm going to give you the biggest rock we have tonight."

**Notes: **Uh-oh! Darunia's in a fix now. How will he be able to fool the king when he's supposed to be Darunia _and_ Daruniana at the dinner? And surely someone will be going home before the next round of the competition ensues. Thanks for all the feedback! Don't be afraid to drop a review (or more).


	31. Chapter Thirty One

The Goron's eyes narrowed at the jaded dirt path as he watched his feet continue in their tracks. He sighed, turning his head slightly to make sure he had not lost the group. They were following slowly behind Darunia, especially the king whose only contribution to the trip was his ridiculous stories about how he saved Hyrule… twenty times in one day. Only Link, although silently, walked alongside Darunia. The Fire Sage rolled his eyes and continued marching up Death Mountain. If he walked faster maybe he could lose the king.

But losing the king was like losing one's shadow--quite impossible.

"Daruniana," the king called out cheerfully. "I have another _great_ story that I would love to share with everyone! This one is when I saved Hyrule from a fire-breathing dragon that ate babies with whip cream on top!"

Darunia cringed at the sound of _that_ name, but cringed even more at the mere mention of another story.

Zelda laughed uncomfortably. "Oh, you don't have to tell us this story. We have heard quite enough stories for one day," she replied, smiling sheepishly at her father.

"Yeah, if I hear another one of your stories I'm going to jump off Death Mountain," Nabooru added in her usual tone. "They're not even true! You're just making all this crap up from the top of your head."

"Not true," the king waved his hand nonchalantly. "I'll have you know that my father was a great sailor many, many years ago. He traveled the world forty-seven times in one night, and liberated many villages from the evil hands of evil-doers who commit evil deeds! They were, indeed, _very_ evil." the king said proudly, holding back a tear in his eye. "Ah, he was a great man."

Sighing, Impa rubbed her temples and continued walking with Darunia and Link, leaving the others to argue among themselves.

"I thought your father was the past King of Hyrule," Ruto added, quirking an eyebrow in disbelief.

"He was," the king laughed. "How else do you think I became the King of Hyrule? Hah!"

"Sometimes I wonder…" Nabooru muttered under her breath.

"How could he be a sailor _and_ the King of Hyrule?" asked Malon who was remotely paying attention to the king's tales, but she pretended like she cared what the older man had said.

"My father was a king during the day and a sailor during the afternoon," he paused. "And he was a gladiator once every full moon."

"…I see."

The king shook his head and sighed. "I can understand how you must feel, Mulan. I mean, it must be hard living with a brain disorder caused by standing on too much grass. You can hardly comprehend anything."

"…Excuse me?" Malon narrowed her eyes dangerously. The king had insulted her in front of everyone. She forced herself to remain calm, but she could feel the heat growing on her cheeks. "_How embarrassing…"_

"I think you're the one with the brain disorder if you still can't remember her name," Nabooru laughed.

Although Nabooru had defended her name, Malon could not help but feel horrible. She looked toward the front of the group where Link was. He had not yet turned back toward her. Had he not heard what the king had said to her? Malon shook her head. Probably not. "_If Link heard, would he defend me… or would he keep walking and ignore it?"_ she pondered for a moment.

"But I don't remember names of peasants," the king shrugged his shoulders, turning away from Malon and continued walking.

"A peasant?" Malon bit her lip, moving closer to slap the king upside his head with a rather large rock; however, a dainty hand gently grabbed her shoulder to cease her actions.

"He did not mean it, Malon," said Zelda calmly but sincerely.

"He said I had a brain disorder, and he called me a peasant," Malon said almost inaudibly, rolling her eyes. "How could he not mean it when it was so cold? I understand he's your father and you want to defend him, but you can't always justify his actions."

Zelda bowed her head slightly. "I apologize…"

Malon shook her head. "Why do you always feel like you have to apologize for the king? He's the one who said those cruel things to me. And he's the one who started this competition. You have no right to apologize for what he does," she commented firmly.

"…"

The king turned and faced the girls. "Come on! We're going to leave you two behind if you don't hurry," he called out, waving his arms madly.

Zelda nodded quickly. "Yes, we are coming."

Nabooru, standing behind the king, crossed her arms. "Something tells me I shouldn't leave this mentally, unstable old man by himself. Death Mountain isn't the safest place for senile kings," she shook her head, hiding her grin.

He laughed, extending his arms to Nabooru. "Ah! Well, well, well. I think someone is fond of me," the king laughed. "You want to protect me from those lizard monsters, is that it?"

"What! You really _are_ senile!" Nabooru turned her head from his. "Quite frankly, I could careless about what happens to you. All I'm worried about is getting my rupees when I win this competition," she answered quickly.

The king smiled. "Right. I'll take you on your words."

Nabooru shook her head. "Hmph. Whatever, I'm leaving now," she took a step away from the king but suddenly stopped. She looked at her surroundings and then returned her gaze toward the king, Zelda, and Malon. "Heh… Heh…"

"What's wrong, Nabooru?" asked Malon.

"They left us!"

* * *

Darunia, who had successively drained out the noisy king, and the others continued their brisk pace toward Goron City. Impa and Link followed closely beside him with Ruto following behind the large Goron. The others had settled down, or so it seemed, and were quietly following behind them. Struck by a bad feeling, Ruto placed a finger on the edge of her chin. "…_is it possible for the king to be this quiet?"_ she thought, not able to shrug the feeling away. 

"I have a bad feeling," Ruto said suddenly, breaking the silence. "It's too quiet back there."

"Hmm, maybe the king finally ran out of stories," Darunia shrugged his shoulders, grateful for the silence.

"The king never runs out of stories," Link commented, facing the Darunia with a shocked look on his face.

The four stopped and turned around, only to see no one following behind them.

"What! Where did they go?" Ruto cried out in shock. "Princess Zelda, Malon, and Nabooru are gone!"

"Not to mention the king, either," added Impa.

Darunia slapped his forehead. "That idiot king! I bet he had something to do with this," he cursed bitterly as he began to backtrack. "Looks like we'll have to find them before it gets dark."

Ruto sighed. Zoras were not accustomed to staying in the heat for long periods of time. She was tired of walking, and she needed something cool to drink before she passed out. However, Link noticed the Zora Princess' discomfort. "Darunia, you and Ruto should go ahead. I'll go back and find the others."

"I'll go with you, Link," Impa commented, stepping up from the behind. "You'll be able to find them quicker with help."

Darunia nodded. "All right. This will give me extra time to _prepare_," he laughed, turning toward Ruto. "We're almost there. It's not much further up the trail. You can hold on a little longer, right?"

She nodded. "Yes…"

"We should hurry. Night is near, and dangerous monsters appear at that time," Impa added stoically, keeping her eyes locked on the young man.

Link nodded slowly. The thought of something bad happening to Malon did not set well with the hero. However, Link felt at ease knowing Nabooru and Zelda were with her, but something kept nagging him. "_I don't like her wandering without me… If she's not near me, I can't protect her…"_ he thought, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, and there's something else I should warn you about," Darunia laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Not long after Ganondorf was defeated, some Gorons occupied a small section of the mountain."

"Okay…" Link quirked an eyebrow. "Maybe the others are there, right? We should head to that area then."

Darunia laughed nervously, turning his head away. "Uh… Not quite."

"Huh? What's wrong?" asked Ruto, looking up at his face. "Don't tell me… Ugh! Trouble, huh?"

"Well, let's say it's not very safe," Darunia sighed. "They're trouble-makers. They sell poor quality rocks at ridiculous prices to vulnerable Gorons who don't know any better. It's a pretty poor area. Those Gorons are always looking for rupees. But that's not all," he paused. "They can be pretty hostile to outsiders. It's not a safe area."

"…"

"Well, I doubt we'll have trouble with them buying rocks," Impa added, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Ruto lowered her head. "You know, I have a feeling the king is going to end up there. I mean, trouble is just attracted to him."

Everyone exchanged glances, obliviously thinking the same thought.

Link slapped his forehead. "_Malon… lost with the king… I better hurry."_

* * *

"It's this way!" the king shouted, directed the girls to follow him. "I have a built-in map of Hyrule in my mind. I know this place like the back of my hand." 

"I'm worried," Zelda said with a short sigh. "It's almost nightfall and not one of us knows how to get to Goron City."

"Hello! Did you forget who you're with?" the king added, annoyed. "I told you I would get us there before dinnertime."

"You don't know where it is, Nabooru?" asked Malon, ignoring the king.

Nabooru shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. I have no reason to travel to Goron City. Maybe if this were the desert I could help, but I'm just as lost as you two," she replied sadly.

"I have an idea," the king jumped into the middle of their group, almost shaking the ground upon landing. "How about I lead the way? You ladies have nothing to fear, the king is here!"

"Doesn't this remind you of something?" asked Malon, referring to the forest incident.

"We're doomed," Nabooru sighed, slouching her shoulders.

"Let's mosey!" he said loudly, urging the females to follow despite their obvious discomfort. "If we want to get there before nightfall, we need to hurry."

"Maybe we should wait here. They will come for us," Zelda said reassuringly. "I'm sure they're already looking for us at this moment."

"We don't have time to waste! I'm hungry!" the king yelled. "Let's go!"

She sighed, allowing her shoulders to fall . "I guess we don't have a choice."

The girls, silently praying Impa or Link would find them before it was too late, reluctantly followed behind the king. The king looked around the trail, randomly picking the paths by playing a game of Inny-Minny-Miney-Mo. He continued walking confidently, believing he really did know the way to Goron City. However, once nightfall arrived, the group had yet to reach the city.

The king stopped, looking left then right. He laughed nervously as the moon lurked above the group. He blinked once, then twice, as he examined the trail.

"Hmmm…" the king said, biting his finger in thought. "I think we're lost."

"Great!" Nabooru threw her hands into the air. "Just great! Why do you have to make everything worse?"

The king grumbled. "I was only trying to help."

Malon slumped to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. She lowered her head and sighed. "_Why do bad things always happen to me? I must have done something wrong to deserve this,"_ she thought, grabbing the silver heart-shaped necklace around her neck. "_Link… I know things have been horrible lately, but…"_

"Psst. Hey, over here!"

The group looked up and noticed a suspicious-looking Goron calling for their attention. Zelda and Malon caught each other's glances, silently agreeing to avoid the Goron. Nabooru crossed her arms, glaring dangerously at the intruder. He looked like trouble.

Unfortunately, the king didn't catch on…

"Hi! What's your name? I'm the King of Hyrule! I'm a very important figure in Hyrule's history, and if something bad were to happen to me, Hyrule would fall into complete turmoil. My social security number is one because I'm the King of Hyrule, and I can't remember anything containing more than one number. Nice to meet you," the king said cheerfully, approaching the stranger with a large smile.

"Oh Din… Didn't his mother teach him not to talk to strangers?" Nabooru said, slapping her forehead. This was not going to turn out good.

"Didn't his mother teach him not to give away vital information to strangers," added Malon, shaking her head in embarrassment. "Why do we have to be stuck with him?"

Nabooru patted the girl on her back. "Don't worry, I feel your pain."

The Goron smiled. "Ah… So you must have a lot of rupees?"

"Hah! Hah! Yeah! I'm filthy rich!" the king laughed, pulling out his wallet.

Zelda hid her face in her hands. "Oh… This isn't good."

The stranger grinned again, pulling several rocks from a bag. "Want some rocks?" he asked in a deep voice.

The king, with his fingers locked around his chin, examined the rocks that began to fall apart in the Goron's hand.

"Oh my Din! Only an idiot would fall for that!" Nabooru cried out, throwing her arms into the air.

"Sure! How much?" he chirped loudly, causing the others to face-fault behind him.

Nabooru's jaw hit the ground. "Ugh… I doubted his stupidity. I didn't think he was really _that_ stupid."

"Five hundred rupees," the Goron replied shortly.

"Hmm…" the king thought for a moment. "Sounds like a reasonable price for something of no use to me."

"Father!" Zelda yelled, grabbing the king's arm as she began dragging him away from the Goron. "We do not buy questionable items from strangers! This is almost as bad as that time you sold Hyrule to Ganondorf for a flower pot!"

"Oh c'mon! It was a fair trade!" the king said in his defense.

* * *

_The Gerudo tapped his foot impatiently, awaiting the King of Hyrule's answer to his proposal. When the king remained silent, obviously still deliberating, the Gerudo felt the urge to repeat himself. "I want to become the new King of Hyrule, and I want the Triforce to gain infinite power and control the people of Hyrule with an iron fist," he proposed firmly, never taking his eyes from the king._

_The king pondered again momentarily, pacing back in forth in front of his throne. "What do I get?"_

"_I'll kill you," Ganondorf replied shortly._

"_I don't know… You drive a hard bargain," the king stopped, shaking his head._

_Ganondorf's eye twitched. How did an idiot like him stay king? Even the King of Evil could not answer that question honestly. He sighed angrily, reaching for a flower pot he stole from the garden before he reached the throne room. He had a feeling he would need it._

"_Well, I thought you might say that," he began, handing the king the pot. "In return for your kingdom, I will give you this flower pot. Do we have a deal?"_

_The king's eyes lit up. "Oh! It looks just like the ones in my garden!"_

_Ganondorf clenched his fist, trying to resist the urge to kill the king right on the spot. "Yes, I think they'll match quite nicely," he commented disingenuously through his teeth. "So, do we have a deal or not?"_

"_All right! We have a deal! After all, this was an equal trade," the king laughed, patting the Gerudo on the shoulder. "Have fun with your quest for infinite power. But remember not to misuse it. I don't want Hyrule to fall into complete mayhem as it waits for a young boy who had been sleeping for seven years to awaken and liberate the kingdom from your evil grasp," the king paused. "Of course, that's just silly. I know you wouldn't do anything like that."_

"_Right. I promise you won't be disappointed with your decision. Now, if you don't mind, I shall take my leave," Ganondorf bowed insincerely before leaving the king's presence._

"_He's such a nice young man," the king said, walking back to his throne._

_Impa cleared her throat as she emerged from the shadows. She shook her head as she tried to remain calm. "Do you know what you just did?" she asked, shock and anger crackling in her voice._

"_Oh, Impa! Look at this nice flower pot!" he chirped._

"_He stole that from your garden! You just sold Hyrule to that man for a flower pot that was yours to begin with!" she yelled out, no longer able to remain calm._

_The king narrowed his eyes, returning them to the pot. He examined his supposedly new item carefully before dropping it onto the floor. _

"_I was just ripped off!"_

* * *

"I'm glad to know you think Hyrule is worth one flower pot," Nabooru added sarcastically. 

Zelda, tapping her foot angrily, glowered at her father. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself? You should have listened to me when I said he was not to be trusted," she lectured, pulling him over toward the other girls.

The king pouted, looking down at his feet. "And in the end, I never did grow flowers in that pot."

"Father!" Zelda shouted. "I don't believe you sometimes!"

"Wait," Nabooru looked up. "How did you manage to survive when Ganondorf attacked the castle?" she asked, kicking the dirt under her feet.

The king's face brightened. "Oh, well! I have a story for you. This will explain everything that never made sense to begin with," he began, clearing his throat. "When Ganondorf attacked the castle, Carlito and I dressed up as ninjas--"

"--All right. This is already ridiculous," Nabooru interrupted. "What really happened?"

"You're no fun," said the king, sticking out his tongue. "Besides, what _really_ happened is a secret."

"He hid under the bed," Zelda answered dryly, crossing her arms.

"I did not!" the king huffed, plopping down onto a rock. "I was trying to find Carlito! I heard him crying under my bed. I wasn't going to abandon him, you know."

"Right," Nabooru rolled her eyes. The king loved his teddy bear, and it was very obvious.

The Goron, who had yet to leave, approached the king again. It was obvious by the look in his eyes he was not going to leave until he got what he wanted. He grinned, pulling out several rocks from his bag again. "Are you sure you don't want any? They're very rare."

"Ugh… When is this Goron going to give up? Doesn't he realize we're not going to give him our rupees?" Malon sighed, slapping her forehead.

Zelda shrugged, holding her father's arm. "I do not know, but I have a bad feeling about this. Perhaps we should leave the area."

The king turned and faced the Goron who was still walking toward them. "I'm sorry, but we're not interested. Maybe another time, eh?" he said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"I'll give you these rocks for half price, how about that?" he offered persistently.

Nabooru, stepping in front of the king, narrowed her eyes. "Hey, listen here! We said 'no'! We don't want your damn rocks! Get lost before I kick your ass!" she hissed, crossing her arms.

"Hah! Hah! Well said, Nabooru," the king cheered.

The Goron backed away slightly, throwing up his hands. "All right, all right. I won't force you to buy any rocks," he said, examining the group carefully. He grinned inwardly.

"Hmph," Nabooru smirked. "That's what I thought. Now get lost!"

"Right, I'm sorry to have bothered you," he replied, turning his head slightly as he began to slowly walk away.

Nabooru raised her head, grinning widely, and uncrossed her arms. But as soon as she let her guard down, the Goron quickly raised his fist and struck the Gerudo in the face. The impact caused the thief to tumble backwards as she covered her face with her hands. The king quickly extended his arms and allowed the woman to fall into them.

"Nabooru!" Zelda yelled out as she stood behind her father. "Are you all right?"

"Ugh… No! Would you be all right if you were hit in the face with a fist made of _rock_?" she countered angrily, trying to pull herself to her feet. Unfortunately, she was too dazed to stand.

The Goron smirked, knowing that he had rid the group of their fighter. They were powerless now.

"I want all your rupees, now!" he yelled, raising his fist to threaten them.

The king glowered. "I don't have any rupees on me! Why would I carry all my rupees with me everywhere I go?" he yelled, still holding the thief in his arms.

The Goron huffed loudly. "I don't believe this," he said as his eyes locked onto Malon who was isolated from the other three. Then he noticed _it_. "That's an expensive-looking necklace you have," he grinned.

Malon gasped quietly, looking down at her necklace. "_The necklace Link bought for me…!"_

She began to back away instinctively until her back hit the side of the mountain. She placed her hand over her necklace. It meant so much to her, and she would be damned if she let something happen to it again.

"Don't be scared. I won't hurt you if you hand over that necklace," he said with an insincere tone.

Malon shook her head stubbornly but boldly. "No!"

He narrowed his eyes, extending his hand. "I won't ask again. Hand it over, now!"

The red-headed woman gulped, tightening her grip on her necklace. "_Link gave this to me. I'm not just going to give it away like it means nothing to me… because it does mean something! Even if I have to take a hit, I won't let him take it!"_ she closed her eyes tightly, fearing for the worst.

"Malon!" Zelda called out. "Run!"

But she couldn't. Her knees were locked together, and her whole body was trembling in fear. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as the Goron's footsteps grew closer.

"That's it! I hate having to ruin a pretty face, but I warned you," the Goron yelled, balling his large hand into a fist.

Malon bit down on her lip almost to the point of bleeding. She never imagined this happening to her in her wildest dreams. "_I'm…scared…! But…"_

"Malon!"

She heard a voice call her name, and then the sound of rock meeting metal. Opening one of her eyes, she looked at the figure shielding her. "Link…" she muttered, allowing her body to slide down the wall.

The Goron stumbled backwards, falling onto the ground. "The Hero of Time!" he stuttered, propping himself up with his hands.

Link, ignoring the Goron, turned toward Malon. He knelt down, lifting his hand and placing it gently on Malon's face. With his thumb, he gently brushed her bangs away from her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded shortly. "Yes… Thank you."

"Did he hurt you?" he asked with a hint of anger resonating in his voice.

"No," she shook her head. "Fortunately, you came just in time," she replied, smiling in relief.

"_I almost didn't make it to her in time," _he thought. "_I'm so relieved she's okay. I don't know what I would have done if she were hurt."_

Link nodded, returning to his feet. He turned his head slightly, locking eyes with the Goron. "Get out of my sight before I change my mind about letting you go," he growled dangerously.

Without saying a word, the Goron rolled into a ball and quickly rolled away. Link returned his attention to Malon. Extending his hand to her, he pulled her from the ground. "You love to make me worry, don't you?" he asked playfully.

Malon pouted, looking away. "I didn't mean to."

"I know… But you really scared me," he replied, looking at her necklace. "I see you're wearing it."

She smiled. "Yes. That Goron wanted to take it from me, but you came for me so everything is all right now."

"I always come for you," he replied, smiling. "And I always will."

Malon blushed and turned away from him. "Link…"

"Oh! Impa!" Zelda said, running into her attendant's arms. "I'm so glad to see you!"

Impa nodded, returning the hug. "Is everyone well?" she asked.

"Well," the king looked down at Nabooru. "Not really."

"Damn Goron! I'll kill him!" Nabooru screamed, holding her nose.

Impa shook her head, handing Nabooru a bottle of red potion. "Here."

"Thanks," she replied, taking advantage of the potion.

"So, how did you lose the rest of us?" Link asked as he approached the others.

Everyone looked at the king.

"What? Are you implying that this was my fault?" he asked, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Yes," a now-healed Nabooru replied. "When is it never your fault? Maybe if you didn't talk to that Goron and ignored him like you should have done, this wouldn't have happened!" she said, pointing to her bruised nose.

"At least it will heal in a few days," Zelda commented sheepishly. "The good thing is that we are all well."

"I guess you're right," Nabooru added, pulling herself to her feet.

"Everyone is waiting for us at Goron City," said Link. "Let's hurry."

"Yeah," Nabooru added dryly. "Darunia's serving _dinner_ tonight."

Everyone shuddered, except the king.

"All right! I'm starving!" the king chirped.

"He has no idea, does he?" Nabooru, slapping her forehead, asked Link.

And Link shook his head.

**Notes: **Ah… The end is getting closer and closer. Remember to review! As farfetched as this may sound, I'd like to reach at least one thousand reviews. It seems impossible at this rate, seeing at the story is almost complete, but a girl can dream, right? Darunia's dinner will be in the next chapter for all you eager folks wanting to see the king eat a rock. Thanks for reading!

Oh, and if you have not noticed yet, I started a new Link/Malon story, Legend. Check it out!


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

She sighed in relief as she took in the city's surroundings. She had finally made it, and she had only got lost once. After the tiring walk to Goron City, all Malon wanted to do was relax. However, by the look of how things were running within the city's walls, she knew it was going to be a long night. The Gorons were running around frantically trying to prepare the sudden feast the king had called for. Darunia, however, was no where in sight. This did not surprise Malon; Darunia was probably changing out of his dress at that moment.

The red-headed woman turned her head toward Link who was looking forward in deep thought. He had guided the group to Goron City, and once they arrived, the group separated from each other to explore. Only Link had remained behind to keep Malon company. She cocked her head to the side and smiled warmly. "You okay?" she asked softly.

His head suddenly jerked up. He blinked, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh! Yeah, I was just thinking," he said with a laugh. "Is something wrong?"

Malon, turning away, shook her head slowly. "No. I was just checking."

Link half-smiled, stretching his arms above his head with a tired yawn. He closed one of his eyes, and with his opened eye, he gazed at the woman next to him. "This is your first time in Goron City, isn't it?" he asked, trying to create a conversation.

"Yes. It's a lot bigger than I imagined it to be," she replied, clasping her hands together. "I never imagined coming to Goron City one day," she paused, turning around toward Link. "Well, I never imagined doing a lot of things that I've done since I've been living in the castle."

Link chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I've had some interesting experiences since I've moved into the castle, but that's another story."

"Excuse me," came a voice from behind. Link and Malon turned around to meet the Goron's face. "I was informed to tell you that Darunia would like you to meet him at his quarters."

"All right. Thanks," Link replied with a nod. "Well, are you ready to eat some rocks?"

Malon narrowed her eyes. "You're starting to sound like the king. I think you've been hanging around him for far too long."

Link only laughed at her comment. "Ah… Do you really think that?"

"Well," she paused, walking ahead of him. Smiling, she turned around and tied her hands around her back. "Sometimes I can tell his attitude has worn off on you. I guess that's bound to happen if you live with a person for so long, you know? But, even still, I know you could never be like him. You're too nice of a person to be like him."

"He's not that bad of a person," Link replied shyly, kicking the ground underneath his feet. "He has his flaws, but everyone has their flaws."

"You defend him, too," Malon said softly, sighing.

Link cocked his head sideways. "Well, I've known him for a while. I've seen his good side as well as his bad side," he answered, walking closer to her. "I mean, I know he's done a lot of… questionable things, but he's not that bad of a person."

"Hmm… Maybe, but I've yet to see his good side," Malon shook her head and looked away. "But I'll take your word, I guess."

Link, sensing the woman's doubt, frowned. "You sound like you don't believe me," he added, standing in front of her. "Of course, I'm not trying to change your mind. I know he's done some things that would make anyone hate him. I mean--"

"--He called me a peasant, and he told me I had a mental disorder because I didn't understand one of his stupid stories that didn't make any sense to begin with," she interrupted, lowering her eyes.

"Did he…?" muttered Link, narrowing his eyes. "When did he say this to you?"

"Earlier today when we got separated from the group," she answered shortly.

"You know it's not true," Link added sympathetically. "You shouldn't get upset over his words. You know he says a lot of dumb things."

However, instead of feeling at ease by Link's words, Malon felt worse. "_And still, he defends him. Maybe I'm just asking for too much when I think of his defending my name,"_ she thought, shaking her head. "_I guess I can't expect him to say things like, 'That idiot! How dare he!' or 'I'll kill him for you, my love!'. Now that's really asking for too much."_

"You're right. It was stupid," Malon said sharply, throwing her hands into the air. "And it was silly of me to get upset over words, even though they really hurt me. I mean, they're just words after all, right?"

"Malon…"

"The king is a great guy, right? After everything he's said and done, he's still a wonderful person whom we all should praise and cherish," she scoffed at her words.

Link furrowed his eyebrows, sensing Malon's resentment. He wanted to grab her and pull her into an embrace to calm her, but found himself only able to listen to her as she continued to speak.

"I mean, look at all the good things he's done: started a stupid competition to find you a wife despite your protests, publicly humiliated every contestant in this competition whether verbally or physically, and, I must mention, put our lives in danger on several occasions. I'm sure you're very familiar with these occasions, am I correct?" she spat angrily, no longer worried about taming her feelings. A person can only bottle up their feelings for so long until they explode.

Link tugged at his collar as he met Malon's glowering eyes. "I haven't forgotten," was the only words his lips could form.

Malon scoffed softly, shaking her head. "Just listen to me rant like this," she commented, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't want to hear all of that."

"If it makes you feel better, you can rant all you want," he replied. "It's not good to keep everything inside without expressing it."

"Hmm, maybe," she answered shortly.

"I would never justify his actions, Malon. I will admit that he's done a lot of horrible things since this competition begun," he paused momentarily. "But I have a feeling that maybe everything that has occurred really isn't as they seem to be."

Malon quirked an eyebrow in confused interest.

"Maybe, there's something else going on we don't know," he laughed, throwing his arm around his companion. "Ah… But then again, maybe he's just gone senile."

Malon laughed. "I'll take the latter."

"I'm sorry, Mal," he said suddenly, breaking her train of thought.

Malon looked up, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. "For what?"

"For making you think I was defending him after everything he's done to you. I can't forgive him for that, but maybe there's more going on than we know," he replied, giving her a half-smile.

Malon looked away. "_More going on than you know…"_

"He's not a bad person, but I can't say I always agree with him," Link pulled the girl closer to him as he began walking toward Darunia's quarters. "But if it had to be you or him, I wouldn't think twice about my decision. I'd choose you in a heartbeat."

Malon smiled, gently placing her head on his shoulder as they walked. "I would hope you wouldn't choose him. Think of your kids," she said, allowing a small laugh to escape her lips.

Instinctively pulling her closer as their feet walked in unison, he laughed in chorus with the red-headed woman. Malon, feeling the warmth of his body next to her, blushed slightly.

"_If time could only stop… I would savor this moment forever…"_

* * *

The group, except Link and Malon, sat around the table that had already been prepared for dinner. Darunia, with Ruto sitting next to him, crossed his arms and sighed loudly. Ruto propped her head up with her free arm, while the other dangled freely to the side. Nabooru had fallen asleep with her head lazily covered by her arms on the table. The king sat in front of the Gerudo thief and had a blast throwing anything small he could find into her hair. Zelda sat next to her father and took the objects from his hands before he could throw them at Nabooru. However, it was when she turned away from him when he made his move. Impa stood in the shadows, as always, and kept watch as the group idly say by awaiting Link and Malon's arrival. 

Once the group had arrived in Goron City, Darunia had already prepared the table and awaited their arrival. They had come together and had quickly seated themselves, but after waiting for what seemed like forever for the other two guests, Darunia decided to send someone for them.

After all, they couldn't begin their meal without Link and Malon.

"Oh my Farore!" the king suddenly shouted out.

"What's wrong?" asked Zelda in mild concern.

"Oh, I just felt like saying it," the king answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Farore is so underrated! Everyone is always like, 'Oh Din!' and 'Oh Nayru!' but never do they mention Farore at a crucial point. I mean, it's just not fair. She deserves recognition, too!"

"…"

"Ugh… What is taking them so long? Did they get lost or something?" Ruto grumbled, changing the subject.

"Maybe they found a closet," Darunia joked.

However, Ruto did not find it funny one bit.

"Pfft. I know Link better than that. He would never do something like that, especially with someone like her. She's obviously not his type," Ruto waved her hand nonchalantly.

"Hmm. I think they compliment each other nicely," Zelda suddenly answered.

The king almost fell out of his chair.

"What!" Ruto yelled in shock. "You've got to be kidding."

Zelda shook her head and looked down. "Well, it is obvious that he cares about her… more than a friend," she mumbled softly.

"Love is so overrated," Nabooru spoke up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She narrowed her eyes as she patted her hair. "What the hell is this shit?"

The king cackled evilly.

Nabooru cast a deadly glare in his direction. "You bas--"

"Hey everyone," Link suddenly walked into the room with Malon at his side. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting for long."

"And where were you two?" Ruto interrogated, staring daggers into Malon.

"We were… just looking around the city. I was showing her around since this is her first time here," he answered, pulling out a seat for Malon. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Ruto opened her mouth to reply but was stopped by another voice. "No, it's all right. Did you enjoy your look around the city, Malon?" Darunia asked.

She smiled. "Yeah, it was really nice."

Link, taking a seat next to Malon, looked around the table until his eyes fell onto Nabooru's hair. "Uh… you know you've got paper in your hair, Nabooru," he added, trying to hold back a laugh.

"That's not all that's in there," the king snorted.

Nabooru snapped her head in his direction. "I'm about two seconds away from eating your face," she growled dangerously.

"Since we're on the subject of eating," Darunia spoke up. "Let's bring out our meals!"

Several Gorons, holding plates of all sizes, emerged from the back. They neatly placed the plates onto the table in front of Darunia's guest before leaving the room in an orderly fashion. Darunia let out a nervous laugh at the group looked at their dinner.

Silence filled the air until…

"Aw man! Pudding!" the king cheered. "Now that's what I call a dinner!"

"Father, that's not pudding. It's a rock," Zelda corrected, slight annoyance dripping from her voice.

"Hmm," the king mused to himself, seemingly ignoring his daughter's words. "You know, we can't enjoy this delicious meal of pudding right now. There's someone missing."

"Uh… Who?" asked Link, looking around the room.

"Daruniana!"

And at that moment, Darunia's head met the table.

"I mean, she was so kind to offer her help and guide us to Goron City. I think she deserves to share this meal with us, too," the king preached cheerfully. "I wanted to give her my thanks."

"Oh, I'm sure she already knows you're thankful," Darunia said, rubbing his head as Ruto helped pull his head from the table.

That answer wasn't enough for the king. "I want to tell her in person that I'm grateful for her assistance, and she should join us for dinner."

Darunia whimpered inwardly. "Unfortunately, she can't."

"What? Why not?" the king asked in shock.

"She died, okay!" Darunia yelled out a desperate excuse, as illogical as it may have been.

"…What? And you've been hiding this from us for how long?" the king narrowed his eyes. "She was our friend, too!"

Darunia, rubbing his temples, sighed. "I haven't been hiding it from you. I just didn't want to… depress anyone before dinner."

"But… What happened? She was just with us!" the king's curiosity begged for more answers.

Amused, everyone turned to Darunia to see how he would wiggle his way out from this question.

"Uh… Well, there was a Dodongo that rampaged… uh… through the city. And then it… ate her," Darunia was crying on the inside, really.

"…Oh! That makes complete sense!" the king answered with sudden insight, clasping his hands together.

Darunia sighed in relief.

"But wait a second--"

"--JUST EAT YOUR DAMN ROCK!" Darunia suddenly screamed out, jumping out from his seat.

Silence.

The Goron cleared his throat and returned to his seat. "Uh… Enjoy!"

The king coughed slightly, returning his attention to his plate. He lifted the rock to his face and examined it. He looked at the group who was watching him as if he were a piece of art at a museum. He poked it once, then twice, before opening his mouth to take a bite.

Of course, no one tried to stop him either.

"OW! This is a rock!" the king yelled out, throwing the rock onto his plate. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Darunia slapped his forehead. "We already told you it was a rock before you took a bite. It's not our fault you're a moron…"

"That hurts…" the king replied dejectedly, placing his hand over his ear.

The group sighed, shaking their heads in disappointment.

The king glared at the Goron leader. "I see what's going on."

"Huh?" Darunia looked around in confusion.

"I know what you're planning," he paused. "You murdered Daruniana, and now you're trying to murder me!"

"…Gee, you're so smart," Nabooru added sarcastically.

Darunia sighed, standing from his seat. "All right, dinner's over. I'll have someone show you to your rooms tonight since there's no use in returning to the castle this late," he said, dismissing the group with a wave of his hand.

The king, before walking away, looked back at Darunia. "I'm on to you!"

After the group had all left, only Darunia and Ruto remained. He shook his head and sighed loudly. Ruto patted the Goron on the back. "Ah, at least it went better than you expected," she said, laughing.

"I didn't have high expectations, trust me," he answered, rubbing his temples.

Ruto turned to the door. "Well, I'm going to go to bed now."

"Wait," he called out before she could leave. "Can… Can we talk?"

Ruto remained silent for a moment. She turned back toward the Goron and smiled.

"Sure."

* * *

After she was shown her room for the night, Malon could not help but leave for a little while. She sat outside Goron City, overlooking the mountain's scenery. A sigh escaped her lips as she pulled her legs to her chest. 

She couldn't sleep, and she was hungry; those two things were never meant to collide. However, despite the drawbacks, she managed to make her way outside where she could relax if only for a moment. She sighed again, raking her fingers through her hair.

"I'm so hungry," she mumbled tiredly, rubbing her stomach as it began to growl angrily. "Now that I think about it, that rock didn't look half bad."

"Ah, don't say that," came a voice from behind, startling Malon. She quickly turned her head to meet her visitor.

"Hey, it's the truth," she replied as Link took a seat next to her. She smiled, returning her gaze to the sky. "Couldn't sleep either?" she asked.

"Well, I had to do something before I could go to sleep. Here, I got you something," he replied, tossing a small bag into Malon's hand.

Without asking questions, Malon opened the bag and took out its contents. "Food!" she cheered loudly as her eyes lit up like Christmas lights. "Where did you find this?"

"I made a trip to Kakariko Village while everyone was supposed to be asleep," he explained, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I would eat with you, but I'm afraid I already ate my on the walk back."

Malon was too busy stuffing the food into her mouth to reply. Instead, she just made incoherent noises and nodded her head. Link laughed, shaking his head. "You're going to choke if you don't chew your food."

She eyed him, swallowing the large portion of bread she had stuffed into her mouth. "Well, if I do choke, you'll save me, right?"

"Of course."

She smiled, returning to her bread and milk. "Thank you, Link."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I can't let you starve, you know," he answered in his usual tone.

Malon giggled, shaking her head. "Of course not. You've got to take care of me."

"I think I do a pretty good job of that. What do you think?" he asked with a grin.

Malon only nodded and continued to eat.

* * *

Morning had arrived, and the group was preparing for their departure. The king waited at the entrance of Goron City for the rest of the group. He tapped his foot impatiently. "What's taking them so long, Impa?" he asked. 

The woman only shook her head. "You can't expect them to appear after sending the word only a minute ago," she replied shortly. "Give them time to prepare."

"Bah! I've given them plenty of time."

Impa sighed, shifting in her stance. "Look, here they come."

"What took you so long?" the king asked harshly. "We've been waiting forever!"

Link opened his mouth to respond, but stopped as he noticed Impa raise her hand.

"Ignore him. He woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Impa butted in. "We'll be leaving now. Are you ready?" she asked.

The group nodded in response.

"Well, I guess I'll be staying behind," Darunia paused upon hearing the king's familiar laugh. The Goron's eye twitched involuntarily. "Good luck on the next few challenges."

The king nodded. "Yeah, they're going to need all the luck they can get," he laughed, patting Darunia on the back. "Well, there's only four of you lovely ladies left. Let's hurry back to the castle so we can get back on track."

"Wait," Ruto suddenly spoke up.

"What's wrong, Ruto?" Zelda asked.

The Zora princess looked away from her fellow teammates' glances. She took in a deep breath before continuing. "I'm… I'm pulling out of the competition."

"What!" the king cried out, falling over in shock.

"What made you change your mind about the competition?" asked Malon who stood next to the princess.

Ruto turned toward Darunia and smiled. "Let's say someone I know talked some sense into me," she replied shortly.

"Ah, it doesn't matter anyway," Nabooru added, walking to the front of the group. "She was going to lose anyways. Better to pull out now before embarrassing yourself any more than you already have."

"But why?" the king grabbed Ruto's shoulders, shaking her lightly. "You can't just pull out like that!"

Ruto brushed the king off and narrowed her eyes. "If I remember correctly, you've given us permission to pull out at any time we wish. You said so at the beginning of the competition," she retorted bitterly.

"Yeah, but I didn't think you, of all people, would actually pull out," he sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"It is your decision, Ruto, and we respect it," Zelda approached the Water Sage and bowed. "We will miss your company."

"Pfft!" came Nabooru's voice in the background.

Zelda laughed nervously, scratching her neck. "What do you intend to do now?"

"Well, Darunia and I talked about plans on strengthening the relationship between the Zora and Goron races. I'll probably stay here for a while," she answered. "Then we'll see what happens from there."

"Come on! Let's go!" the king yelled out.

Link waved to Darunia. "Take care."

"You too," Darunia grinned. "And remember to take care of your girl."

Link laughed as he began to walk away. "You too."

Darunia and Ruto's eyes widened. Before they noticed, the group had already departed, leaving them to ponder Link's comment.

"Ew! I can't believe he just implied that _I_ was _your_ girl!" Ruto shouted out in disgust. "Me, a beautiful princess, with a rock who dresses up as a girl? I think not!" she commented, walking back to Darunia's quarters.

Darunia's eyes twitched. "Excuse me?" he called out, following closely behind her.

And they argued all the way back.

**Notes: **Ruto pulls out of the competition due to Darunia's meddling. If you remember, when Darunia first made his appearance in this story, he and Ruto were arguing. And look at how the two leave! **Review or a Dodongo will eat you**.


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

There were only three girls left in the competition, and there were only two more challenges remaining. Malon, now safely resting in her room, stretched her arms above her head and yawned. She listlessly plopped down onto her bed and stared at the ceiling above. She never imagined making it this far into the competition. She was certain she would have been first to be eliminated. But she had made it. Rolling onto her side, the young woman sneered at her thoughts.

She had always doubted herself. But at least Link believed in her.

She could see the quiet desperation in his eyes as he watched the girls compete. She could hear the sadness in his voice when he mentioned the competition. Malon, pulling her knees to her chest, sighed. She was so close to winning. But was it really worth it?

Malon shook her head discontentedly. There was always a chance she would lose, and Link would be left with all the problems to shoulder himself. She would have to sit helplessly by as she watched him wed another woman. Knowing that it would not be Link's decision would ease the pain slightly; however, Malon knew she was not capable of bearing the sight.

"I'm hopeless…" she, reaching for her pillow, murmured to herself. "What has become of me? I remember I hated this stupid idea at first, but now… But now all I want is to win."

She had always dreamed of being with Link, but winning him in a competition was something she had never dreamed of doing. However, now that victory was right in front of her, her dream of being with Link was becoming more of a reality.

"Ugh… I should just quit this competition and go back to my boring life," she growled. "I should just walk away from everything to save myself whatever dignity I have left. But… If I leave, Link will be left with marrying someone against his own will. I don't that to happen to him."

But there was another solution Malon despised thinking of. She could tell Link that the whole competition was rigged. She could reveal the truth about the whole competition and therefore ending it right then and there. And then Malon would not have to worry about Link marrying another woman. But then again, that would also killed her chances of becoming his wife.

"I'm awfully selfish, aren't I?" she asked herself dejectedly. "What about Link's feelings? It's so obvious he doesn't want to get married. He would hate marrying me, and then he'll begin to hate me, too."

"But then… How could I tell him? He'll want to know how long I've known about this. I could always lie to him, but I could never bring myself to do that… Although, I am lying to him everyday… Aren't I?" she asked herself again, believing there would be a reply.

"He'll be mad at me… He'll say, 'How could you keep this from me? I trusted you!' I would betray his trust. No, I've already betrayed his trust… He just doesn't realize it yet," she sighed, sitting up. "I'll find a way to win this competition. I'll find a way to overcome the king's plans. He'll be so angry that a _peasant_ girl ruined his plans. Link would be so proud of me, too."

Malon sighed. No matter how much she wished everything to work out perfectly, something inside reminded her that life wasn't a fairytale; nothing ever worked out the way people wished for it to.

Shaking, Malon placed her face into her hands. "It's not going to work out the way I want it to… Everything isn't magically going to fall into its proper place. Link and I aren't going to live happily ever after like I want. This… This isn't a dumb fairytale… I need to wake up and face reality."

There was a light knock on the door. Surprised, Malon looked up. "Yes?" she answered, wiping her eyes.

"The king has announced the semifinals are to take place in the conference room now," a servant called out from the other side of the door.

"Already…?" she asked, puzzled. "Okay. I'll be there in a moment."

Malon glanced over at the mirror before heading to the door. She sighed, raking her fingers through her lengthy hair. "Everything is happening so fast. There's hardly any time to sit back and think… This must be how Link feels," she muttered, leaving the room quickly.

* * *

"Preposterous!" 

"Sir, I'm sorry," Impa replied dryly. "But it's true."

The king slammed his fist onto the table. "No! It's not! You are lying to me! You know what happens to servants who lie?"

Sighing, Impa messaged her temples. "Yes, I do… But would you kindly explain why what I said is false?"

"Because," the king, looking away, crossed his arms stubbornly. "You just don't hear him."

"Sir, Carlito cannot speak. He is a stuffed bear," Impa reiterated.

The king narrowed his eyes. "Carlito says you're full of it."

"Oh joy, look who it is," Nabooru, walking casually into the room, commented wryly. "The king and his beloved teddy bear. How old his that bear anyway?"

The king lowered his head next to Carlito's. "Yes? Hmm… Kill her? Oh Carlito! Have you no shame?"

"…"

"Carlito! You're heartless! But, you know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea…" the king trailed off, meeting Nabooru's eyes.

"Uh…" the Gerudo woman looked at Impa who only shrugged.

Link, followed by Princess Zelda, entered the deathly quiet room. He stopped, looking around in confusion. "What happened?" he asked, looking at Impa for answers.

The Sheikah only shook her head. "Nothing. The king is just behaving oddly… again."

"Oh."

"Oh? Oh!" the king stood up angrily. "If it weren't for people like me--who shine light onto the colorless lands--in this world, the world would be boring!"

"Hmm… I was thinking the world would be safer and peaceful," added Nabooru, snickering.

The king, mumbling incoherent sentences, sat down in his chair in defeat.

"What are we going to do today?" asked Zelda, changing the subject.

The king looked around. "Well, if that child would hurry up I can explain everything to you."

"Maybe I should get her," Link added, walking to the door.

"No. No. No. You stay here, my boy. You shouldn't have to fetch her. If she doesn't want to be here on time, then maybe she doesn't… care about you!" the king shouted. "Maybe she thinks this whole competition is a joke, and maybe she's spitting on your picture as we speak! Maybe she's laughing at how incredibly tacky you dress!"

"…"

"Maybe she's laughing at how horrible you dance!"

Link twitched.

"Maybe she's laughing at how you think you're some sort of _hero_!"

"Um…"

"If she doesn't show up, then that means she's laughing at everything you are! It means that she doesn't care about you and that you should marry my daughter!" the king nodded.

"What?" Link, tilting his head, asked.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Malon called out, suddenly barging into the conference room.

"Damn!" the king cursed quietly.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" Malon asked, looking around the room.

Zelda laughed. "Oh, it's nothing. My father just had one of his… outburst."

"Oh… I see."

The king growled. "Okay! Okay! Everyone's here! Let's sit down so I can tell you what we're doing today before there are anymore interferences!"

"Sir!" a servant, running into the room, cried.

"Dammit!" the king slapped his forehead. "You run in here acting like the castle is in flames. What do you want? Can't you see I'm about to make these unlucky girls' lives miserable?"

"I'm sorry to have interrupted you, but we've just received some unfortunate news from Kakariko Village," the servant began nervously. "The well has ran out of water!"

"…That's what you had to tell me?" the king narrowed his eyes angrily.

"Sir, if they don't get water soon the results could be terrible," the servant answered.

"Father, we should send water to the villagers," Zelda added calmly. "We have plenty to spare, and it'll help Kakariko Village greatly."

"And waste our precious water? Don't be silly! Carlito, alone, needs tons of water! He has to bathe and drink gallons a day so his skin can have that shiny effect," the king retorted.

"Father… Carlito is a stuffed animal. I do not think he needs any water," Zelda commented dryly.

"Pfft! Shows how much you know!" the king waved his hand nonchalantly. "I have a solution. We'll just blow up the village. It is the only solution!"

"Sir! There are innocent people living there! You cannot be serious!" the servant, stepping back, responded in disbelief.

"Father! Are you mad?" Zelda slammed her hands onto the table. "You must not react so irrationally. They need water not bombs!"

"Okay! Okay!" the king turned to Impa. "I'll let you take care of this matter, all right? I have a lot of other, more _important_, matters to worry about."

"…Right," Impa answered, leaving the room with the servant.

"Ugh… Sometimes I wish you would use your brain," Zelda added, rubbing her temples.

"What brain?" Nabooru commented.

"Funny, Nabooru," the king rolled his eyes. "I'll just blow up your fortress along with Kakariko Village."

"Ha! You act like you have that power. But really, you're just all talk," Nabooru retorted, crossing her arms. "Now can you please tell us what we're going to do today?"

The king's eye twitched. "All right. Fine. Today we will hold the semifinal round. Only two will remain in the competition, and the loser will have to go home and rot away in eternal misery!"

"…"

"Just kidding. But seriously, today we will hold a finger painting competition!" the king shouted energetically, throwing his hands into the air.

"Finger painting! Oh c'mon!" Nabooru, sighing, slapped her forehead. "This is so lame."

"I've been wanting to do this for a while, but we've been so busy with other things. I thought now was the perfect time to throw this at you! It's challenging. Some may not make it out alive, but I believe only the worthy to marry Link will show their true artistic abilities!" he said, dancing around his chair. "So, is everyone ready?"

"What are we supposed to paint?" asked Malon.

"Me!"

"…"

"You have to make it beautiful! You have to make it look just like me! I want a beautiful portrait of myself so I can send it to the single ladies in Hyrule," sighing, he looked down. "No one ever replies to my nude photos…"

"Because they probably died of a heart attack," Nabooru commented under her breath.

"What did you say?" the king narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing."

"Is it even possible to finger paint a portrait of a person?" asked Link.

"Of course it is! I painted a portrait right before you guys showed up. See!" the king pulled out a sheet of paper with green and red blotches strewn on it. "This is Link and me holding hands and running toward the rainbow. We're wearing cowboy hats, see! And on the bottom, that's a pot of rupees! And there's Zelda holding Carlito. And there's a destroyed Gerudo fortress in the background with dead Gerudo women everywhere. And that on the top corner is the sun, smiling down upon us!"

"…I don't see that," Zelda replied, squinting her eyes at the paper.

"It just looks like… blotches of paint," Malon added.

"Why did you draw us holding hands…?" Link backed away slightly in fear.

"That has got to be the ugliest painting I have ever seen," Nabooru laughed. "It looks like you drew it with your ass. Great job!"

The king growled, crumbling the painting into a wad of paper. "Maybe I did draw it with my ass! But at least I have talent, unlike you!"

"Nice comeback," she answered sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Zelda laughed nervously. "Perhaps we should begin the semifinals now."

"Great idea!" the king cheered, handing out several pieces of blank paper. "I hope I will pleased with the results."

"If by pleased you mean unbelievably mortified, then yes, I'm sure you will," sighing, Malon mumbled under her breath. If there was one thing Malon was not, it was an artist.

The king set out several different cups of paint in front the three girls. He grinned, examining each color. "I made these colors myself! This one is called 'I just tripped and fell on a rusty nail' red. This one is called 'I'm choking on a peanut' blue. This one is called 'I just vomited in someone's hat' green. And this one is orange," the king explained, smiling.

"Colorful names," Nabooru said, rolling her eyes.

"Aren't they?" the king said, handing each girl a set of goggles.

"What are these for?" asked Zelda as she examined the goggles.

"Well, what else? They're for protecting your eyes. Duh!" he answered, patting Zelda's head.

"I know that, but why would we need them for finger painting?" she shrugged her father's hand off.

The king crossed his arms. "You see, while I was painting earlier, I had paint squirt in my eyes! I thought I was going to be blinded for the rest of my life! But, thankfully, I was only blind for two seconds. It was the worst two seconds of my life!"

"…Only you would somehow injury yourself while finger painting," Link shook his head.

"Hey! I took one for the team!" the king pointed to his right eye. "I don't have to protect these ladies, but because I'm a very caring and considerate man, I'm giving them safety equipment."

"Yeah, you're such a considerate man, wanting to blow up an entire village," Nabooru sighed. "Thanks for the goggles, but I'm sure I won't need them."

"Fine! If you go blind, I'm not responsible for the medical bills!" the king tossed the goggles over his shoulder. "I was just concerned for your health. And this is how you repay me, by rejecting my help?"

"What help? You just want to make us look stupid," replied Nabooru.

"I don't think I need to help you with that," the king countered, walking back to his seat. "Now, if anyone has any objections, speak now before we begin."

"…You suck!" Nabooru shouted.

"That's not an objection, dearest Nabooru," the king answered, twitching.

"No, it's a fact."

"Look, you're just mad because you really do look stupid and there's nothing I can do to change it. In life, there are a lot of ugly people. Just look at Malon over there. But just because the goddess made you ugly doesn't mean you're a bad person. It just means that no one wants to look at you," the king shrugged. "The lesson here is don't discriminate ugly people, unless that ugly person is Nabooru. And that, my friends, is my wise statement that will one day help you through life."

Malon looked away sadly. "_How could he say something like that? Does he even care about other people's feelings…? And how dare he say I'm ugly! I know I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world, but…"_

"…That was incredibly rude," Zelda snapped irately. "I believe you owe both Malon and Nabooru an apology."

"An apology? Are you kidding? I was only telling the truth, no matter how harsh it might be," the king turned to Link. "I mean, you of all people would know what I'm talking about, right?"

"…No."

The king raised an eyebrow. "No? You don't think Malon is ugly?"

"I think she's beautiful," he replied shortly.

"_Link…" _Malon thought, looking at Link.

"Pfft! I don't see how. But what about Nabooru?" he asked, pointing toward Nabooru.

"She's not ugly, either."

"Father, this is ridiculous!" commented Zelda.

"What? The facts are written in stone. Well, more like written on Nabooru's face!" the king held his stomach, laughing heartily.

Nabooru clenched her fist tightly. "One day, you'll wander astray in _my_ territory. The people of Hyrule will wonder what happened to their idiot king, but no one will be able to find your body…!"

The king backed away from the Gerudo. "Are you threatening me?"

"No… I'm warning you. The only reason I can't lay a finger on you is because you happen to be the King of Hyrule. I would never jeopardize the safety of my home because of a bumbling idiot like you!"

"Bumbling idiot? If I were an idiot, then tell me how I can manage a kingdom all by myself? Hmm?" the king asked.

Nabooru opened her mouth to reply, only to be stopped by the king.

"Exactly. Because I'm not an idiot! I'm a genius!"

Nabooru shook her head. Her chances of winning were slim to none.

"Let's just begin… Please. I am tired of the arguing," Zelda butted in. "If you are going to act immature today, then maybe we should wait until you grow up."

Everyone turned to Nabooru for a sarcastic remark.

She shrugged. "I'm not in the mood to comment on that."

"Look, stop wasting time! I _do_ have important matters to do, okay!" the king shouted. He waited until the girls settled down before speaking again. "All right. Like I said, paint a picture of me. Oh, and you have a few minutes to complete this task."

"What! You can't draw a _beautiful_ portrait of someone in a matter of minutes!" Malon protested, jumping out from her chair. "You're asking too much from us."

"Excuse me? I drew that beautiful painting in three seconds. That, my darling, is a world record," the king grinned smugly. "Now, no more outbursts or I'll blow up Lon Lon Ranch!"

Malon gulped, sitting quietly back in her chair.

"Now, are we ready to paint?" the king asked, returning to his usual cheerful demeanor.

Silence.

"All right! Let's paint!"

Malon bit her lip nervously as she reached for the red paint. "_I can't paint… I'm definitely going to lose…"_ she thought as she wiped the red coloring onto the paper in a circular pattern.

She tensely reached for the green, dipping her finger into the cold paint. She carefully strewn the green paint onto the paper, making sure she did not slip up. Malon overlooked the colors. The king failed to offer the girls a selection of paint, but Malon did not need much. She dipped her finger into the orange and drew it back to her paper. Unfortunately for her, the paint dripped from her finger as she held it over her painting. Malon gasp, trying to wipe the orange paint only for it to leave a smug on her paper.

Malon's eye twitched. "Oh for the love of… Why does this always have to happen?"

"Time's up! Let's see these beautiful paintings!" the king cheered ecstatically.

Malon slapped her forehead in frustration.

"That wasn't even a minute!" Nabooru called out.

"Time flows differently in my kingdom! Ha!" the king boasted proudly.

The king walked behind each other girls as he looked down at their painting. Malon felt a cold chill run down her spine as he stood behind her, looking down at her painting. She closed her eyes, wishing he would walk away.

"What? What is this?" the king bellowed in shock. "This is horrendous!"

Malon quickly opened her eyes, noticing the king had moved on to Nabooru. Malon, although somewhat relieved he was not referring to her work, felt sorry for Nabooru. "_Ugh… He never gives her a break."_

"What! Horrendous?" Nabooru stood up to meet his eyes. "This is better than your ass ugly painting!"

"It kind of looks like a bleeding snowman," Zelda said as she studied the painting.

"Well, at least it actually looks like something," Nabooru crossed her arms.

The king examined the painting further. "This…! This looks like some sort of plans for an assassination!"

"You're kidding," Nabooru's jaw dropped.

"You're trying to assassinate me!" the king stepped back.

"What the hell are you talking about? It's a damn painting!" Nabooru pointed to the painting on the table.

"I won't fall for that so easily!" the king raised his fist. "I won't let you kill me! You're out of this competition!"

"What!" Nabooru's eyes widened. "That's unfair!"

"Unfair? What's unfair is you trying to kill me!" the king retaliated.

Nabooru narrowed her eyes dangerously. "That's it. I'm out of here. Forget the rupees. I'd rather live in shambles than stay another day in this castle," she hissed, walking toward the exit.

"Help! Murderer!" the king suddenly exclaimed.

Nabooru quickly turned around. "What?"

"Thief!"

"…"

"Runaway bride!"

"What are you yelling about?"

"Someone, help! She touched me inappropriately!"

At that moment, Impa burst into the room. She paused, looking for the intruder. "What's the matter?" she asked fretfully. "I heard you screaming from down the hallway."

The king pointed toward Nabooru. "She's trying to assassinate me! Send her away!"

Impa quirked an eyebrow. "Is that what all the commotion is about?"

The king held up Nabooru's painting. "This is proof that Nabooru wants me dead!"

"…It looks like a bleeding snowman," she replied shortly.

"Hah! That is only a disguise for its true meaning!" the king insisted, slamming the paper onto the table.

"You're just trying to screw me out of this competition!" Nabooru protested angrily.

"Oh am I? Or is it you who is trying to screw me out of this competition?" the king countered.

"What? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Or does it make sense?"

"You're just countering everything I'm saying!"

"Or is it you who's countering everything _I'm_ saying?" he grinned, crossing his arms in victory.

"That's it!" Nabooru screamed from the top of her lungs. She had enough of the king's games.

Running toward the king, the Gerudo leaped over the table to meet the king. Pushing him into the wall, she grabbed his collar and raised her fist to strike. "I've had enough of you! I'll show you what happens when you cross a Gerudo!"

Feeling cold steel against her neck, the thief stopped before her fist made impact. She cursed herself inwardly, glancing from the corner of her eye at the man hovering over her.

"Are you going to kill me, Link?" she asked dangerously.

"Let him go," he demanded.

Nabooru waited for a mere moment before releasing the king. She returned to her feet, brushing Link's sword from her shoulder. "Hmph. So, despite him being in the wrong, you'll defend him?"

"…It's my duty."

"Is that what you call it? That man hides behind you as if you were nothing but a shield. He talks big, but when he finds himself in a bind, he leaves you to clean up his mess," Nabooru scoffed. "You're nothing but a mere pawn in his game. The cowardly king hides behind the big, brave hero for protection. And the hero blindly protects him no matter how wrong he is. Hmph. It's a shame you've become a puppet, Link. It really is. You see, in the end as long as you follow the king, you'll end up losing the one you care about most. Why? Because you're too much a coward to step up because you fear his power. You're afraid he'll cast you away for standing up for what you believe in. You're afraid you'll lose your luxurious life. You wear that Triforce on your hand as if you deserve it."

Lowering his sword, Link gazed at the marking on his hand. Did he really deserve to wield the Triforce of Courage when he could not even stand up to the king?

"I'm out of here. Good luck on the finals," Nabooru swayed her hand, leaving the deathly silent room.

Malon, nibbling on lip, looked down. Did Nabooru know something? Did she know the truth about the competition? If she did know something, perhaps she could give Malon valuable information. Anything to help her win the competition was important. Without thinking, Malon quickly ran out the room to follow the Gerudo. She needed to know more.

"Nabooru! Wait!" Malon called out.

The Gerudo stopped in her tracks. Turning around slowly, she met the younger woman's eyes. "What do you want, Malon? Are you going to scold me for being harsh to your man?"

"…No."

Nabooru shook her head. "Sometimes, people act foolishly. I act on my gut instinct. That's the way we Gerudo live. We don't have time to sit back and think of another solution. We think while we fight. That's our way," she laughed sadly. "I don't regret anything I've done. In this world, regret leads nowhere."

"Nabooru, about this competition… You said Link was just a pawn of the king…"

The older woman cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "Not just the king. He's not the only culprit in this game he's playing. This competition really isn't in his control. He's nothing but a puppet as well."

"What? What do you mean?" Malon asked in shock.

"Well, maybe not so much of a puppet as Link…" the Gerudo began to trail off. "The king takes orders from Boss, the person behind this whole game."

"Boss? Who is that?"

Nabooru shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care," she commented, turning away from Malon.

"Wait! How do you know about all of this?"

"The king came to me and asked me to compete. After he explained the situation, I told him I wasn't interested. But when he offered a large sum of rupees in on the deal, how could I say no?" Nabooru laughed slightly. "However, the thing you may not realize is that… I was paid in advance."

Malon, gasping, stumbled backwards. "You… You…!"

"That's right, don't be afraid to say it," Nabooru turned to face Malon again. "I've known about the truth since before the competition began."

"You've been pretending this whole time!" Malon shouted furiously. "Everything that's happened… You've been leading everyone on to believe that… that you didn't know anything!"

"I'm offended. You claim that I've been leading people on, when you are the one leading Link on," the woman countered curtly. "You're a hypocrite."

"How dare you!"

"Oh, but you know it's true. You've known about the truth for quite some time, right? But even knowing how much Link despises this competition, you do nothing to end it. You're just in it for your own personal gain," she replied harshly. "Of course, so was I. But I already got what I wanted."

Malon looked away. "That's… That's not true!"

"Deny it if it makes you sleep better at night," Nabooru shrugged. "It's not that I don't like you, Malon. But maybe you need to consider Link's feelings. Inevitably, someone will get hurt in the end. Will it be you or will it be Link? It's your decision."

"Who else knows about this…? About the truth!"

"Who knows. This competition is nothing but an endless maze of twists and turns. In the end, the truth will be revealed, and you might just be shocked at who is playing who," Nabooru turned and began walking away. "But then again, I'm just as clueless as you are… You think you know everything that's happening, but really, you're the one in the dark."

Malon watched the woman walk down the corridor until she was completely out of sight. She had learned more than she had originally wished to learn. Nabooru knew. She pretended to play along in the competition. Did the others know about the truth, too? And then there was Boss, the true culprit behind the madness. Who was this person? Why was this competition so important to that person?

"Malon?"

Malon gasped, turning to meet Link's face. "Oh, hey…!"

"Is something wrong? Did she say something to you?" he asked, concerned.

"_You're the one leading Link on."_

"…No. I'm just sad to see her go," she answered.

Link half-smiled. "Well, I think she overreacted a bit. I know the king can be annoying at times, but attacking him is out of the question. It'll be a lot quieter around here now that she's gone."

"Yeah… I guess."

"Malon, something's wrong… Tell me what's the matter. Maybe I can fix it," Link gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

She cast her eyes away from his. She wouldn't tell him about the truth. No, she couldn't tell him the truth.

"I can't! I just can't!" she cried out, running away from him. "I'm sorry!"

"Wait! Malon!"

"_You're the one leading Link on."_

"_You're just in for your own personal gain."_

"_Inevitably, someone will get hurt in the end."_

Malon never stopped running until she was safely in her room.

**Notes: **More information has been revealed! And only Zelda and Malon are left in the competition. I estimate I'll only have four more chapters left, so **remember to review**! Oh, and don't be afraid to guess who you think 'Boss' is. It's amusing to see everyone's guesses, especially when people are like, "Epona is Boss!" Well, no one's actually said that but it would be quite amusing.


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

He slowly paced to the lonely window in his room. Peering out blankly, he sighed and rubbed his temples in frustration. He had just returned from dinner which, to his surprise, was exceedingly quiet. The tension among the group had become more and more intense with each fleeting moment. It was to be expected since the competition was drawing to an end.

The final round of the competition was tomorrow, but somehow, he felt uneasy. He had imagined the last day of the competition would be a glorious day, and he, his daughter, and Link would celebrate their new victory. But now, he was beginning to doubt everything he had believed before. He shook his head slowly, convincing himself he was only worrying too much.

But then again, more tribulations were piling onto his conscience. It was hard for the king not to worry anymore.

From the beginning of the competition, everything had been planned thoroughly. However, he had made one impetuous mistake before the competition began. The king sneered inwardly as he walked away from the window. His mistake was allowing that girl to enter the competition. He had underestimated her greatly. But even with the games set for the girl's failure, she continually surprised the king with her victories. The king knew that someone within the group was aiding the young woman. It was the only answer he could think of.

Finally, the king had an opportunity to rid himself of the girl. The finger painting competition had originally been fixed for her elimination. There was no way the girl could have escaped from this one. She had interfered in his plans for too long, and she was finally going to return home. However, someone had disdained his plans.

It was the boss who prohibited Malon's elimination.

The king, bewildered by his boss' sudden demands, had questioned the abrupt change of heart. The boss had remained silent when confronted. Although the boss had no objections to the girl's entry in the competition when he had presented his idea, the king began to doubt his boss' true intentions. Were there ambiguous details he was not aware of? Perhaps this was a mistake on the boss' part and not his.

Lost in thought, the king glanced out the window at the garden below. Nabooru had played her role perfectly. The Gerudo hated the idea of being used, but a handful of rupees had quickly changed the young woman's mind. She succeeded in fooling Link and the others who were not aware of the true intentions. Although, she had played her part too well at times, the king was still satisfied with her work. A smirk tugged at his lips as his mind continued to trail off in thought.

"Bravo, Nabooru," the king, clapping his hands, spoke. "You have done well."

"You seem pleased," came a voice from behind.

The king turned his head slowly to meet the figure entering the room. He smiled, returning his gaze to the window. "Well, I am pleased that this competition will be ending soon; however, I am not pleased with your sudden change of heart. Malon should have never been in this competition."

"Oh? Were you not the one who proposed the idea to me?" the boss answered curtly.

The king rolled his eyes. "Yes, I was the one who proposed the idea to you. You had no objections and I carried it out. But the fact is she is still here. She is interfering with our plans. Why must you continue playing games? Malon should have been gone a long time ago. Enough is enough," he spoke with slight resentment of the boss' decisions.

The boss sighed, walking to the king's side. "Yes, perhaps it would be easier without her here. However, I feel torn between my desires and what is right," the boss replied flatly. "Link is very fond of her, you know."

"Bah! Link is fond of his tunic, too!" the king waved his hand nonchalantly. "And his horse! And Kokiri Forest! Perhaps he feels that she needs more attention and care than the others."

"Perhaps. Still, they are good friends," the boss replied heedlessly. "But I do believe there is something there he is not so willing to illustrate to the world. But sometimes I feel he does not even realize his feelings for her."

"Hmph. I fail to see how he could love her like you claim," sighing, the king shook his head. "But then again, Link is still a mystery even to me."

The king allowed his scowl to deepen as he turned his head to meet his partner who peered impassively out the window. He frowned as silence occupied the room.

"I believe she has discovered the truth about us," the boss, placing one hand on the glass, added sadly. "But I do not think she will tell Link. I do not think she has the heart to reveal the truth to him. Or perhaps, maybe it is that she does not have the courage to tell Link."

The king scoffed softly. "What makes you think she knows?"

"It is just a feeling…" came the boss' reply.

"Well, if she does know, she better not tell Link. Otherwise, we'll both lose," he added, shaking his head angrily.

"And she will, too…"

The king, allowing his shoulders to drop, sighed. "Must you keep acting like that? This is what you wanted, isn't it? What more do you want me to do?"

The boss refused to answer his question and moved leisurely to the door. "Tomorrow will be it, the deciding round. I will not cease it. I believe it is too late to end the competition now despite my regrets. But I will watch to see if Malon can overcome this challenge. If she can, I believe she deserves to marry Link."

"Even if she's lying to him?" the king added vexingly.

"But we are all lying to him. It will make no difference who wins. We have all betrayed him. We have all wronged him," the boss replied softly before leaving the room.

The king stared intently at the door, thinking of the boss' words. "Perhaps. But I am only fulfilling your will," he muttered, suddenly attacked by violent coughs. He paused for a moment as he caught his breath. Turning back to the window, he stared out expressionlessly. "How much longer do I have…?"

* * *

Link fumbled with his hookshot outside. Earlier that day had been chaotic. Nabooru's elimination was not as surprising as he thought it would have been, but the way she left was shocking. Her stinging words had left him in utter confusion and shock. But what upset him the most was her words had also left Malon in the same position. 

What had she said to Malon to make her run away like that? Link sighed, kicking the dirt underneath his boots. Even at dinner, Malon had not said a word. And even when the king had initiated a food fight, she, staring expressionlessly at her plate, had remained seated without a word of protest. What was she thinking about? What thoughts were swimming in her mind? Something must have been bothering her, and the only answer Link could muster was Nabooru's comments.

Link cursed his mind mentally for not being able to concentrate. After dinner everyone had departed to their rooms. As he lay in bed, he had found himself unable to sleep. Climbing out of bed, he was determined to do something about it.

And now he stood outside Malon's room wondering what he should do next.

He, making sure no one was around to see him, looked around the courtyard. He examined his hookshot again before pulling the trigger. Hauling himself onto Malon's balcony, the young man dusted his tunic with his hands before putting the hookshot away.

"All right, now for the kidnapping…" he muttered to himself jokingly.

He slowly walked to the glass door leading into Malon's bedroom. He gulped, thinking of what she would do if she saw him sneak it. He remained stationary, questioning if his idea was really such a good idea.

"Well, if I don't do something now, I'll never have a chance to," he replied to himself, wiggling the doorknob slowly until the door open. He, leaving the door wide opened, walked into the room cautiously.

"Now, where is she?" he asked, examining the room until his eyes fell on a figure, with one leg dangling out from under the covers, sprawled out lazily on the bed.

He smirked. She always had weird sleeping positions.

Link tiptoed to Malon's bedside as if he were a stealthy ninja—except, he wasn't. Unfortunately Link failed to see Malon's boots strewn carelessly on the floor in the middle of her room. And with a loud thud, the graceless hero fell flat on his face.

"OOF!"

Malon stirred in her sleep. Opening her eyes slowly, she studied the figure pulling himself from the floor. She blinked once, then twice as her mind registered the stranger's identity. "Is that you, Link?" she asked, confused.

Link, straightening his green hat, rubbed his forehead. "Uh… Yeah. Hi Malon."

"…What are you doing in my bedroom at this time of the night?" she, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, asked dangerously.

Link took several steps back in self-defense. When her tone reached that level of anger, Link knew she would attack at any moment; he knew from experience. "I've come to kidnap you," he answered playfully with a silly grin, hoping she would calm down upon seeing he had no ill intentions.

She remained silent.

Link cleared his throat in a nervous manner. This wasn't going as planned.

Malon shook her head and pulled herself into a sitting position. "If you're going to kidnap someone, you should make sure they don't catch you before you carry out your plan," she explained half-heartedly as she pulled the sheets to her neck.

"I'm only worried about you," he replied gingerly. "You've been acting different lately. I know there's something wrong. I know you better than that."

Malon turned away.

"I just want you to be happy. So, I thought if I got you away from the castle for a little while, it'll brighten your spirits," he continued. "Are you up for it? I'm not going to let you refuse this offer."

Malon, clearing her throat, tightened her grip on the sheets.

The young man grinned wolfishly. "I knew you were going to put up a fight. I don't like seeing you upset all the time, Mal. I'm determined to fix whatever is bothering you," he explained, approaching her bedside.

She shook her head and drew her legs to her chest. "Link, not now…"

Link, oblivious to the red-headed woman's hints, grabbed the edge of the sheets. "I guess I'm going to have to force you to get out of this castle, aren't I?"

Before the young woman could protest, the sheets flew from her body with one swift tug. Malon squealed, covering her body instantaneously.

Link's playful grin slowly faded as his mind registered what little she was wearing to bed. His eyes widened, locking on to Malon and not the barrage of pillows that were thrown at him. His face met all three pillows before he fell on his back. He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran toward the balcony.

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't dressed _decent_?" he cried out, stopping once out of her attacking reach.

"I didn't think you were so clueless!" she bellowed, reaching for the sheets to conceal herself. "Besides, who goes to sleep in the clothes they wear all day?"

"…I do."

There was an odd silence between the two as Link took several more steps toward the exit.

"Just get out!"

Link, covering his eyes, failed to remember where Malon had carelessly thrown her boots earlier, and unfortunately for him, history repeated itself. After a series of unfortunate events, Link found himself in the bushes under Malon's balcony. He rubbed his head and looked up. Malon, with the sheets wrapped securely around her, appeared, gazing over the edge of the balcony at the young man.

"Are you okay, Link?" she asked in a concern tone.

"Yeah, this isn't the first time I've fell off your balcony. I think I'm getting accustomed to the fall," he replied half-heartedly, pulling leaves from his hair.

She smiled, knowing Link had no bad intentions. He was only concerned for her well-being, and he wanted to rid her mind of her troubles. He was not the most suave man in Hyrule, but it was the thought that counted. And that made her happy just knowing he cared.

"Just wait right there, okay?" she called out to the young man.

Malon promptly ran back into her room and changed into her usual attire. Before returning to the balcony, she checked herself in the mirror. She sighed upon noticing she was still blushing from that incident. Malon shook her head and took a deep breath.

"_Tonight… It would be the best time to tell him the truth. This is my last chance. I have to do it! I have to be strong,"_ she thought as she ran to the balcony. Placing her hands on the railing, she glanced down at Link who had already pulled himself from the bushes. She shook her head and giggled before calling out to him.

Link, looking up, took note of the girl and held out his arms for Malon to jump into. Safely catching her, he planted her feet firmly on the ground before taking her hand. "We're such bad children, running away like this," he commented with a childish grin.

"Running away? All this time I thought I was being kidnapped against my will," she laughed heartily. "Where are you taking me?"

He stopped running and turned to her. "Uh… I haven't thought about that yet," he answered slowly.

Malon slapped her forehead. "You would make a horrible criminal, you know? First you get caught, and now you don't even know where to go!"

Link cocked his eyebrow in amusement. "Oh? And you know something about being a criminal?"

"Well at least I know enough to where that if you're going to kidnap someone you should know where you're going to take them!" she countered lightheartedly. "Maybe I should be the one to kidnap you."

"You can't kidnap the willing. I thought you knew enough about this kind of stuff?" he teased humorously.

"Oh hush!" Malon added, punching his arm jokingly.

Link rubbed his arm where Malon had hit him. "All right. You win. Actually, I do know where we're going."

"Oh? Do fill me in on the details," she asked, intrigued.

"Every year Kakariko Village has a festival only celebrated from midnight until dawn. They have lots of games and events, and people dress up, too. I thought I would take you there," he explained.

Giggling, Malon's eyes lit up. "I've heard of it before, but I've never been! My father would never let me leave the ranch so late at night. Why didn't you say something?"

"I wanted to surprise you, but you forced me to tell you so it's not really a surprise now," he answered slowly with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Is someone there?" came a voice in the far-off distance.

Both Link and Malon froze as the voice reached their ears. Turning to each other, their eyes widened in fear of being caught. As footsteps drew closer, Link pushes Malon into the bushes without reservation. He turned toward away from the underbrush as a figure emerged from the distance.

"Link, is that you?"

"Oh! Zelda!" Link laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"What are you doing here so late at night?" she asked, looking around. "I thought I heard someone talking."

His eye twitched involuntarily. "Huh? Oh! I was talking to myself. Sometimes I get lonely and just start a conversation with myself, isn't that right, Link?" he cleared his throat to reply in a higher voice. "Sure is, Link!"

Zelda, blinking, remained silent.

"Uh… So what are you doing out here so late?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I could not sleep so I decided to take a walk. But I am returning to my quarters now," she replied, smiling. "Do not stay up too late, Link. Oh, and you should not talk to yourself so much. It is not very healthy," she added as she began walking away from the baffled young man.

"Uh… I'll keep that in mind. Good night, Zelda."

Link watched the young woman disappear from the courtyard before pulling Malon from the bushes. The young woman glowered as Link bit his lower lip to suppress his laughter. The red-haired woman pulled the twigs sticking from her hair out and tossed them onto the ground.

"Thanks for the warning," she said dryly as she dusted the dirt from her dress.

"Anytime, Mal. Anytime."

* * *

"May I ask again why we are doing this?" a familiar princess asked as she watched two figures leave the castle grounds. She poked her head from the bushes and looked around. "Or are you going to come up with another lame excuse?" 

Darunia sighed, pulling Ruto back into the bushes. "Because I'm fulfilling my duty as a sworn brother!"

"What?"

Darunia turned to Ruto and narrowed his eyes. "I thought we already had this talk, Ruto."

"And I thought I already told you to leave him alone," Ruto countered, crossing her arms. "This is unhealthy, you know. Whatever he does is his business and not ours."

Darunia remained silent as Ruto continued.

"I knew there was something going on between them. No one ever believed me. But this proves it! If I were still in the competition, I would have told the king what was going on between them. I mean, this is strictly forbidden in the competition. She's lucky that Link—"

"—Shhh!" Darunia whispered, placing a hand over her mouth. He had several reasons to stop the young woman from ranting. He didn't want Link to find them snooping in the bushes. But, he also hated when Ruto started talking about Link; it made him jealous, and he hated being jealous.

Link and Malon quietly made their way from the castle premises and into the empty market. The Hero of Time looked around for any signs of movement. Seeing nothing, he took his companion's hand and led her to the exit.

"Mmmf!" Ruto mumbled incoherent words while trying to pry Darunia's large hand from her mouth.

"You've got to be quiet. They'll hear us," Darunia whispered, fighting Ruto's oppositions.

Link's ear twitched as he heard rustling from the bushes. He stopped suddenly, allowing Malon to bump into him from behind.

"What's wrong, Link?" she asked in a concern manner.

Darunia and Ruto froze.

Link turned his head toward the bushes. He quirked an eyebrow in bewilderment. "Nothing. I thought I heard something. It's probably just an animal."

The two sighed in relief.

"Hmm," Malon hummed, directing her attention toward the undergrowth. "I thought I saw something over there."

The duo froze again.

"Ah, maybe it was just your imagination," Link said with a shrug as he pulled her along. "Let's go."

Darunia sighed in relief again, slowly taking his hand from Ruto's mouth.

"You almost got us caught!" Ruto shrieked as she jumped out from the bushes.

"Me? You're the one complaining to me right in front of them! 'Oh Darunia, I'm so jealous he likes Malon!'" Darunia imitated Ruto while pulling himself from the bushes. "I was the one trying to keep us from being caught!"

"Pfft! I am not jealous of her! And I'm sure it wasn't your large butt that Malon didn't see either," Ruto turned away, crossing her arms.

Darunia looked down. "You know I don't like it when you call me large…"

Ruto's expression softened. "All right. You're not large. You're just… uh… full-figured…"

"…"

She shrank, laughing nervously.

Darunia shook his head. "Anyway, we have to follow them. We have to keep an eye on them!"

"You mean _chaperon_ them, right?" she asked dryly.

"…No."

Ruto rubbed her temples in a frustrated manner. "I still don't understand why we're doing this again."

Darunia placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. "I made a promise to Link, and I plan on keeping my promise," he paused momentarily. "Besides, I just want to see if he's going to make his move tonight or not."

"I knew it! You're so horrible, Darunia! I don't appreciate you dragging me along in your dirty games," Ruto balled her fists and kept them at her sides. "You shouldn't be so nosy! I mean, it's not like I care what Link wants to do with her," her voice began to trail off.

Darunia sighed, sweeping the young woman off her feet and throwing her over his shoulder. "We're leaving now."

"Hey! Hey! Put me down!" Ruto wailed, kicking Darunia's sides.

"Nope. Let's follow them before we lose them," he answered, flinching slightly as her blows met his back. Ignoring them, he quickly ran after Link and Malon before he lost them.

* * *

Malon ran eagerly up the stone steps to Kakariko Village. Link, smiling, followed closely behind the ecstatic young woman. She was smiling and laughing as if she had already forgotten her problems. This made Link feel at ease, knowing she was already feeling better. Malon stopped at the entrance to the village and turned her attention toward Link. 

"Are you coming, slowpoke?" she asked teasingly.

Link threw his head up in laughter. "Aren't you in a good mood now?"

"Well, who wouldn't be in a good mood? I've always wanted to go to one of these festivals! I heard so many stories about them," she replied with a giggle. "Thank you for taking me with you, Link!"

He had finally reached the top step where Malon was waiting. He half-smiled and held out his hand toward the entrance of the village. "Ladies first," he said in a lighthearted manner.

Malon did not reply, but instead, she hurriedly ran into the village. She stood in awe of the decorated stands with prizes hanging over the games, and the villagers who were dressed in elaborate costumes and masks. The village was full of people who traveled from all over Hyrule to celebrate this yearly event, and Malon was happy to be among these people. She walked around slowly, taking in the foreign surroundings before looking back at her silent companion.

"Have you been to one of these festivals before?" she asked curiously, retaining her attention on the events around her.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I've been to it before. Every year they keep coming up with new stuff. I think they really went over-the-top this year," he answered her question with a shrug. "It's not the same if you don't have anyone to come with you though."

Malon smiled in response and she continued to roam freely. She had never been so in awe of anything in her life. Kakariko Village was never so intriguing to her until tonight. The young woman was pleased that she could experience the festival at least once in her life. Lost in thought, Malon stopped until her eyes took note of a stand nearby.

The man behind the stand grinned madly. "Ah, do you want to play this game?"

Tilting her head, Malon approached the man.

"Interested, aren't you? Well, let me explain this game! It's very simple. All you have to do is toss one of these balls into that target, but it's harder than it looks. If you can get one into the target, you'll get a prize!" he explained, pointing to a Deku Scrub stuffed toy hanging in the stands. "Want to try?"

Malon examined the prize above her head. She half-smiled. They were kind of cute. Besides, the game sounded fun. The young woman searched her pockets for the asked amount, but after a moment of digging, she realized she was broke.

"I'm sorry. I don't have any rupees," she, lowering her head, explained regretfully.

"I'll pay for it," said Link, pushing himself forward and giving the man the required rupees.

"Link, you don't have to pay for me, too," Malon sighed, placing her hands on her hips. She hated always being indebt to Link.

Link shrugged his shoulders. "It's all on me tonight, okay? Don't worry about anything and just have fun."

Malon half-smiled, grabbing the ball the man had placed before her. "I don't want to be responsible when you go bankrupt."

"Pfft. Just enjoy yourself, Mal."

She looked down and sighed. "All right. I'll try," she said almost inaudibly.

Biting her lip in concentration, Malon focused her aim and tossed the ball toward the target, only to miss by several inches. Furrowing her eyebrows, she grabbed the second ball and tried again. This time she came closer, but was still short by a few inches. Malon examined the third ball and pull it into her grasp before tossing it toward the target.

She pouted as the ball hit the floor with the others. "It _is_ harder than it looks," she mumbled sadly.

"Want to try again?" the man asked again, waggling his eyebrows at the young woman.

Malon shook her head. "No thank you. I think I had enough."

Link placed twenty rupees on the table and turned to Malon. "Well, if you're not going to try again, I'll give it a shot," he said, grinning. "I'm good at these games. I'll get you that prize with no problems."

Malon laughed nervously. "It's okay, Link. You don't have to."

But it was too late, Link was already preparing himself. He narrowed his eyes and tossed the ball toward the target. And instead of going into the target, the ball flew over the target and into the back of the stand. Link cursed himself. "That was just practice," he said to Malon before he took the next ball.

Malon crossed her arms and watched Link miss the target each time. She laughed at his expression when the vendor shrugged casually. Link growled, throwing twenty more rupees at the man. "This time, I'll get it!" he insisted.

However, once again, Link failed all three times. The vendor laughed nervously as Link's glower locked onto him. "What! That was a perfect shot!" he exclaimed, resisting the urge to jump over the counter and take his rightful prize.

"I'm sorry, but you didn't make it. You're free to try again if you'd like?" the vendor asked cautiously, afraid the younger man might snap at any moment.

Malon slowly approached Link from behind. Putting one hand on his shoulders, she smiled. "It's okay, Link. You really don't have to do this for me."

Link, quirking his lips, looked down at her. "Do you want that prize?" he asked impatiently. The game was beginning to annoy him.

"Well, they're cute but you—"

Link roughly placed twenty rupees onto the table. "Keep them coming!"

"Link!"

"I'm not leaving until I get you something," he responded quickly, tossing the balls at the target. Again, missing by mere inches. Link's face turned sour as he reached for the third ball. "I'm going to get it this time!"

Malon sighed, crossing her arms. It was going to be a long night.

"What! Now you can't say that wasn't perfect!" Link shouted, pulling Malon from her thoughts. "This game is rigged!"

The vendor, holding his hands up, backed away slightly. "What do you mean? This game isn't rigged!"

While Link engaged in a heated argument with the vendor, Malon's attention was drawn elsewhere. She began to roam away without Link even noticing she was gone. She hated arguments and didn't want to be around anyone who was arguing. As she examined the events around her, she noticed two familiar figures in the distance.

"Do I look like I eat _fish_?" Ruto spat vehemently as Darunia held her back as she tried to climb over the counter. "Do you know who I am? Just look at me! What possessed you to ask me if I wanted to have some fish?"

The man, backing away from the angry woman, laughed nervously. "Well, everyone loves fish!"

"…Excuse me?"

The man began to sweat profusely as he tried to squirm away. "I just thought that you and your boyfriend would like to have some fish!"

"Ruto, I think we should leave," Darunia, noticing a crowd gathering around them, chanted into her ear.

"No way! I'm going to teach this pompous idiot a lesson!" Ruto screamed, reaching for the man's collar but was pulled back by Darunia.

"Darunia? Ruto?"

The two suddenly stopped all actions. Darunia was first to turn in the direction of the voice. His jaw dropped as he registered the face. "Malon?" he sputtered in shock, accidentally dropping Ruto onto the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"Ow!"

"Oh! Sorry Ruto," he apologized, helping the princess to her feet.

"What's going on here?" Malon asked, looking at the large crowd that began to slowly disperse. "I didn't think I'd see the two of you here… together!"

Ruto straightened herself. "Ah, well… We didn't expect to see you here either," she lied through her teeth.

"Yeah… What a coincidence!" Darunia added. "Are you here by yourself?"

Malon shook her head. "No, I'm here with Link."

"Link? Wow! I would have never guessed that!" Ruto replied, trying to emphasize all her words in an attempt to sound surprised.

Darunia forced a laugh then elbowed Ruto. "You can cut it out now," he mumbled to her.

Malon cocked in eyebrow in confusion. "Um… You guys are acting strange. Is everything okay?"

"Okay? Yeah! Things have been great for us! Yeah, real great!" Darunia replied, wrapping his arm around Ruto. "So how have you been, Malon?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Hmm… I've been okay, I suppose," she replied shortly.

"Nothing else?" Darunia waggled his eyebrow.

"No."

"What about the competition? It's almost over, isn't it?" Ruto added. "I heard from Impa that Nabooru lost the last round. I was pretty surprised when she said that."

Malon sighed. She honestly didn't want to talk about the competition. It made her feel guilty, and only reminded her of what she had to do.

"Nabooru didn't seem to mind," Malon responded dryly. "Well it's good seeing you two again. Maybe we'll bump into each other later," she waved good bye before leaving the two to themselves.

"All right! Yeah, maybe we'll run into each other later!" Darunia added before dragging Ruto away. "Dammit! She knows we're here!" he said once they were away from Malon. "You just had to draw attention to us, didn't you?"

"What! Are you blaming this on me? You didn't even defend me when that man offered me _fish_! That could have been a distant relative of mine he was holding!" she retorted, pulling away from his grip. "You should have told him off and punched him in his face! That's what you're supposed to do!"

Darunia sighed. "You know, that would have just gotten us kicked out of the village. I told you to ignore him, but you insisted on saying something to him!"

Ruto crossed her arms and looked away. "Hmph."

"Look, now that Malon knows we're here, we've got to go undercover," Darunia explained. "I thought something like this would happen so I brought something just incase. I have some disguises for us."

"Are you going to dress up as a girl?"

"…No. No I'm not," he replied dryly.

"Then what have you come up with this time?" asked a vexed Ruto.

Darunia pulled out a pair of fake mustaches. "We're going to wear these!"

"…"

"Eh? What do you think?" he asked, grinning as he stuck the mustache on his face.

"I'm going home," she answered shortly before turning away.

"Ruto! I was just kidding! Well, not really but I can think of something else," Darunia called out to her. "Come on, don't go!"

* * *

Link pushed himself through the large crowd as he frantically searched for Malon. He had been so caught up in an argument, he failed to see her walk away. He cursed himself inwardly from being so foolish. All he wanted was for her to have a good time, but he wasn't helping at all. 

"Where could she have gone?" he asked himself, scanning the area carefully for anything that slightly resembled her.

Frustrated, Link took a seat on a nearby bench. He exhaled heavily and placed his face in his hands. He knew he was worrying too much, and Malon was probably just exploring the festival. But, as Darunia once told him, Link was too overprotective of Malon.

Allowing his mind to wander, Link failed to see his companion walk up beside him. Malon, pouting slightly, tilted her head in thought.

"Hey. You okay?" she asked, gaining his attention quickly.

Link jumped from his seat in a hurry. "Malon! I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?" he asked with a hint of concern trapped in his voice.

"I've been walking around, looking at all the games and stuff," she paused momentarily. "I'm sorry. I should have waited for you, but you seem pretty preoccupied."

Link sighed. "I was worried something happened to you. This might be Kakariko Village, but it's still dangerous to walk around alone, especially since there are so many strangers here," he lectured.

Malon quirked an eyebrow. "You sound like my father. I'm not a little girl, you know. I can take care of myself. I don't always need someone to protect me, Link."

Link remained silent, looking up at the sky in thought. Malon sat down on the bench and folded her hands in her lap. She wondered if she had said something to upset Link. She looked away and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"I know," he replied quickly.

Malon sighed again, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "I saw Ruto and Darunia earlier," she spoke, trying to create a conversation.

"Oh? How were they?" he asked, seemingly half interested in the subject.

"They seemed fine, though they were acting a bit strange when they saw me," she added with a giggle.

"Ah…"

Link's mind seemed occupied with other things at that moment. Frowning, Malon gave up trying to converse with him and looked around the area. There were benches organized neatly together, decorated with flowers and vines. Since it was dark, Malon could not make out if they were artificial or not. Behind her was a view of the festival below which was beginning to simmer down since dawn was not too far away.

Then Malon remembered the competition. The final round was only hours away. Malon turned her attention to her companion who seemed lost in thought as well. She looked at her hands; they were shaking. She knew this was the only chance she could tell him the truth. She sighed and looked away.

"Link," she began, swallowing the knot forming in her throat. "Can we talk?"

He finally turned and looked at her with a bemused expression. "Uh… Sure. What's on your mind?"

"It's passed midnight now, isn't it?" she asked, still refusing to meet his eyes.

He nodded. "Yeah…"

"Today's going to be a busy day, you know?" she replied sadly, failing to keep her cheerful tone.

Link, taking a seat next to her, only made a small sound of agreement. Relaxing, he rested his back against the bench and placed his arms on the top of the bench. Malon felt goosebumps travel down her arms as Link's arm accidentally grazed her the edge of her shoulder. Lost for words, she found herself nibbling on her lower lip.

"This whole adventure's been chaotic," Link spoke up. "It's weird that it's finally coming to an end today."

"Yeah…"

"But, there's been some good moments. It wasn't a completely bad experience. Although, I wouldn't say I'm thrilled about it," he said, chuckling some. "We've had some good laughs, mostly at Darunia's expense."

"Yes! Poor Darunia. He's always the butt of our jokes," Malon laughed along with Link. "Remember that time the king put a nude photo of him in our carriage, and it stuck to Darunia's face! Nabooru kicked him out the carriage. It wasn't funny then, but now I laugh every time I think of it."

Link shuddered at the thought of the king's photos. "Yeah, I think Darunia was scarred for life after that."

"Remember that time when you stole Zelda's tiara when we went to that ball?" Malon asked. "Then you made a whole scene just to distract everyone!"

"First of all, I didn't steal… I borrowed… without her knowing. Secondly, I was only looking out for you," he explained, laughing. "Ah… We've had some good times."

Malon nodded in agreement as she looked up toward the sky. "Yeah…"

"Do you feel better now?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah…"

Link turned his attention toward the sky with Malon. "You sure? You don't sound too convincing. If it's about that prize earlier," his voice began to trail off.

"No, it's not that. It's okay, really," she replied.

Link lowered his gaze to meet her face. He smiled, taking note of the curves on her face. "I hate it when you don't smile. Frowns don't look good on you."

Malon's face turned ten different shades of red. "Oh stop…"

Link shifted, sitting up to face her. "No, seriously. You're even more beautiful with a smile on your face."

Malon covered her face, knowing she was now blushing uncontrollably. Somehow, she couldn't help but smile at his words. He always had a knack of doing that to her.

"See! I told you so!" Link laughed. "I don't know why you've got to cover your face from me."

"You're embarrassing me, Link," she laughed along with him. "It's just…weird."

"Is it really so weird for someone to think you're beautiful and can't help but look at you? Besides, you don't have to be embarrassed. It's just you and me," he explained, looking around the area for any signs of life.

"I know…"

He frowned slightly. "I've told you this before, but you know that you can tell me anything if there's something wrong."

His words only added on to Malon's continually growing guilt. He seemed so understanding, but she knew he wouldn't be when she told him the truth. She stood up, throwing her fists to her sides. Link looked at her in shock as she began walking away. He quickly got to his feet and pursued her.

"Hey! What's wrong, Mal?" he asked again. He was determined to find out. "I didn't say something wrong, did I?"

She stopped walking and looked down. She couldn't face him.

"Link, you would hate me if I told you…"

He titled his head in bewilderment. "Hate you? No, why would I?"

Malon shook her head and smiled sadly. "I know you say you could never hate me, but sometimes I just think otherwise."

"What could you possibly do for me to hate you?" he asked, feeling the tension between them rising.

Malon wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. She knew there was no escaping it now. She had to tell him. She couldn't hide the truth from him anymore. "You know, this whole competition… it's…"

"OW! Darunia! You stepped on my foot!"

"Shh! They'll hear us!"

"Well get your large ass over there!"

"I told you I don't like being called large!"

Link and Malon quickly turned their attention toward the shrubbery in the corner. Link, shaking his head, approached the bushes. "You two can come out now. We know you're there," he said impatiently.

And sure enough, Darunia and Ruto crawled out from the bushes.

"Hi Link. Long time no see, eh?" Darunia asked nervously.

Link cleared his throat. "New look?"

Darunia and Ruto exchanged glances, remembering the fake mustaches they were wearing. They slowly reached for them and pulled them off.

"Yeah… We're trying to start a new style…" Darunia replied sheepishly.

"What were you two doing in the bushes?" Malon interrogated, sounding somewhat upset. But she was also relieved from the pressure of telling Link. "How long have you two been there?"

"We were just passing by on our way to Goron City. We just happened to see you two, and…" Ruto shrank behind Darunia. This wasn't going anywhere.

"Right," Link answered sarcastically, crossing his arms.

"Ah… Look at the time! I guess we better start going home, right Ruto?" Darunia suddenly chirped.

"R-Right! Well, it's been nice seeing you two again! But we can't stay any longer. Bye," Ruto answered as she and Darunia started to walk away rather quickly and then running.

"Those two… They were spying on us," Link thought aloud.

"It is pretty late. Maybe we should go back before someone realizes we're gone," Malon added, walking down the steps.

"Hey… Wait! You didn't get to tell me what was wrong," he said, running after her.

"Oh… I was just going to say the competition is… making me very stress lately. I'm sorry for making you worry," she smiled before leaving Link behind.

Watching her walk away, Link narrowed his eyes. Somehow, he had a feeling that she wasn't being completely honest with him. Sighing, he decided it was best not to probe any further. Whatever was wrong, Malon would eventually tell him when she was ready. Calling out to her, he quickly caught up to her as they began walking back to the castle together.

**Notes: **Sorry for the delay. I've been pretty sick lately, and I've had a creative block for a while. Anyway, thank you for making the last chapter my highest reviewed chapter so far! Fifty reviews! I'd also like to mention only a very small amount of reviewers were on the right track with their guesses. The last chapters will be pretty serious, so enjoy the humor while it lasts. And thanks again for all the feedback!


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

"Good morning, Link."

The young man's eyes shot opened. Sitting up quickly, he examined the older man standing at his bedside. Link groaned inwardly, shaking his head in discontent. He had only arrived home several hours ago, but had only fallen asleep a mere hour ago. Although he was tired, he did not regret going to the festival—it was worth every minute of it.

His wandering eyes locked with his visitor's. The King, with his hands placed firmly on his sides, looked down at the blonde-haired man. He grinned devilishly as if he were planning something in his head. The thought of that frightened Link.

"Good morning," replied Link dryly.

"Do you know what day it is?" the King asked teasingly as he wagged his finger in front of Link's face.

Link blinked not once, but twice, before throwing the sheets from his legs. Standing up, the young man stretched his arms above his head with a tired yawn. He knew what day it was, and he did not want to be reminded of it.

"_Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away," _thought Link.

Walking toward his closet, the King followed closely behind Link as if he were eagerly awaiting the young man's response. Link opened his closet to search for a clean tunic to wear. The older man, taping his foot on the floor, awaited his answer impatiently.

"You must have forgotten. I'll give you a hint," the King chirped. "It has something to do with the competition."

When one ignores the King, he does not just walk away quietly—he comes back more annoying than ever. Unfortunately for Link, he had failed to remember this fact. Tossing his old tunic to the floor, Link slipped on his new one before returning his attention to the King, who was grinning madly as if he were just released from the insane asylum. Mentally slapping his forehead, Link sighed.

"I haven't forgotten," came an emotionless reply.

Link could hear a squeal emanate from the King's throat; he was obviously excited about the day to come.

"Good! I would hate to have to remind you after all these weeks!" said the King before he approached the door. "I am so glad this day has finally come. I've been waiting a long time for today."

"I haven't," muttered Link softly.

As if to rub the competition in his face, the King pressed on. "You don't sound excited about it. Aren't you glad it's almost over? This is the decided round—the last round of the competition!" he said, flailing his hands above his head. He was as animated as ever.

"Look," Link groaned. "I'm glad it's almost over, but I don't want to remember what's going to happen after the competition is over."

The King quirked an eyebrow suspiciously. "It's too late to back out of this now, Link. We've come this far! It's time to finally give you that bride you always wanted."

"But I don't want a bride!" Link retorted.

Silence.

"…Uh. Do you want a husband?" the King asked suddenly, backing away from Link slightly. "I mean, I can arrange something if that's what you want."

"No! I don't want to get married at all!"

The King sighed, shaking his head. "Well, what a predicament we are in. We made a deal, and you can't just back out of it at the very end. How am I suppose to explain to Zelda and Malon that you don't want to marry either of them? Wouldn't they be upset, knowing they had gone through all that trouble for nothing?" the King asked, slightly annoyed by Link's resistance.

Link plopped down lazily on his bed. Covering his face with his hands, Link groaned. He was in a bind. The King had a point; if he had the courage to tell the King before the competition had started, Link would not have to worry about how the girls felt. They had gone through so much, and to know that they were doing it all for nothing bothered Link.

The King shrugged his shoulders. "I had sent Impa to fetch Zelda and Malon and bring them to the next course. They're preparing as we speak," he explained.

"This early?" Link countered, surprised by the King's choice of day to perform the last round of the competition. He always loved doing things too early when everyone was half-awake.

"What's wrong with that? The sun is coming up. By the time you and I arrive, it'll be afternoon," the King answered. "Besides, I made sure they had a fine breakfast before leaving the castle. You can't fight evil dragons on an empty stomach!"

Link's widened in shock. "What!"

"Hmm, did I say that?" the King laughed nervously. "What I meant to say was—"

"Where are they?" the young man jolted up from his seat. "Where did you send them?"

The King held his hands out in front of himself. "Calm down, Link. I'll explain everything to you later. Right now, we need to get going."

"No, tell me now!" he demanded angrily. "Tell me where you sent them!"

The King rolled his eyes. "Impatient, aren't we? Learn your manners and I might just tell you."

Link bit his lower lip to prevent another outburst. The King was more stubborn than he was when it came to talking.

"Forgive me…" he apologized bitterly, casting his eyes to the floor.

The King remained silent momentarily. "You are forgiven. We are leaving shortly. Make sure you are ready, and I'll explain everything later," he said before exiting the room.

"What is he thinking…?" Link asked, cursing himself mentally for what was to come.

* * *

Malon examined the box handed to her. She half-frowned as she pulled the garments from the box. It was a red body suit that looked strikingly similar to Sheikah body armor. Her lips parted slightly as she examined the attire again. It was form-fitting, from what she could tell, and she hated wearing tight clothing. Further inspecting the box, she took note of matching boots and a ribbon that was securely placed under the attire.

Impa stood over the girl with her arms crossed. She watched Malon's face contort as she studied the attire. The older woman shook her head, somewhat amused by Malon's expression.

"You don't like it?" she asked, breaking the silence between the two.

"Oh!" Malon looked up, smiling nervously. "It's not that I don't like it. It's just that I never wear costumes like this; it's different," she tried to explain without sounding disappointed.

Impa reached for the box and picked it up from the ground. "It's not a costume; it's ancient Sheikah battle gear. And unfortunately, there were no other styles available," she commented in her monotone-like voice.

Malon scratched the back of her neck as she laughed nervously. Then Impa's words dawned on her. "Wait. Did you just say 'battle gear'?" she asked, her voice cracking at the end of the question.

"Yes."

Malon sighed at Impa's short reply. "Please don't tell me that Zelda and I are going to have to fight to the death," she asked, somewhat jokingly to relieve her now-overwhelming anxiety.

Impa shook her head, chuckling at Malon's question. "No, you do not have to fight with Zelda."

"Then who _do_ I have to fight?" she asked, knowing she was going to have to do some sort of fighting. Why else would she need to wear battle gear for the next round?

"The King will explain everything to you when he arrives. Until then, you need to change into your suit and meet back here," Impa answered emotionlessly, pointing toward the designated changing area.

Sighing, Malon pulled herself to her feet and gathered the garment in her arms. She had only slept for a few hours, and had been awakened from her sleep at the crack of dawn. She and Zelda were taking to the dining hall for breakfast without any explanation; however, they did not need an explanation—they knew what was going on.

After they had finished their meals, the two were escorted by Impa from the castle to the designated area where they awaited further instructions. It was there that Malon was giving her new attire in which she would have to compete in.

She could hardly say she slept well that night. Her mind was constantly reminding her of the competition, and it only further reminded her of her deception. She freely admitted she was a coward for not speaking up. She had the perfect opportunity to explain to Link the situation at the festival.

But she didn't. She backed out of it at the last moment.

She had cursed herself mentally as Link escorted her back to the castle. She hated lying to him. She hated knowing what would happen to him if she failed to win. She hated it all.

The competition was fixed. The King had planned for Zelda to come out victorious. Zelda was oblivious to her father's games, and Malon could only wonder why the King insisted on Zelda becoming Link's bride. There was more corruption behind the scenes than she was aware of; Malon knew it. Nabooru had known about the competition, and was even bribed into it for her own personal gain. Were the other Sages also aware of the King's plans? Were they playing games with Link, too?

Malon had always told herself, "If there's a will than there's a way." She had to keep to her words—they were her only comfort now. Her hope was wavering. If the King had planned the last round as thoroughly as he had the competition, could she really overcome it?

Malon kicked her clunky boots from her feet to the side. She pulled her dress over her head and neatly folded it and placed it next to her boots. She examined the attire Impa had given to her again. She cocked her head sideways, trying to figure out how to put the suit on.

"Ugh… This is ridiculous. How on earth am I going to do this?" she sighed exasperatedly.

Untying the strings on the sides, Malon stepped into the suit and pulled it up. She retied the strings and pulled her hair that was tucked into the suit out. Raking her fingers through her rust-colored tresses, she grabbed the ribbon that had accompanied the suit and pulled her hair into a messy ponytail.

Finally, she slipped on the matching boots that, to her surprise, were a perfect fit. She looked down at herself and studied her clothing. The suit wrapped around her body, almost suffocating her, but moved freely with her. She rolled her shoulders to adjust to the clothing. Walking to her old clothes, she picked them up and left to meet Impa.

"I guess this day was going to come sooner or later," she said to herself tiredly. "There's no running away from it now."

* * *

Link watched the trees rush by like a blur as he stared blankly out the window of the carriage. The King sat across from him silently, looking over some documents a subordinate had given him earlier. Rubbing his temples, the old man sighed and looked out the window.

"I remember when I was younger, I always yearned for an adventure," he said, clearing his throat. "Of course, then I was the Prince of Hyrule; my father always confined me to the castle. He openly expressed how he believed studying was more important than an adventure. I suppose he was right, on some aspects."

Remaining silent, Link quickly glanced at the older man before returning his attention outside the window again.

"He was a good man, my father. I always looked up to him, hoping that maybe one day I could become a great leader like he was," he continued, never taking his eyes from the window. "But sometimes I wonder what would it have been like if I could have done something… heroic."

Link shook his head. "It's nothing like the tales, that's for sure. Every time I have to unsheathe my sword, there's that impending fear that I could lose my life. Being a hero… it's nothing like a fairytale," he replied scornfully.

"Perhaps we all yearn for the other life," the King scoffed. "The grass is always greener on the other side, isn't that right?"

"I wouldn't know…"

The King cleared his throat and shook his head. "I know you are not pleased with the course of events, but it is for the best. I'm sure you are curious where we are going."

Link turned his attention to the King. "Are you going to tell me now?"

The King nodded. "We are going to the Forbidden Caverns located north of here. I'm sure you have heard stories about it before, have you not?"

Link's eyes grew wide. "The Forbidden Caverns? Are you serious?"

"As serious as I'll ever be."

The young man narrowed his eyes. "But why would you send the girls there? It's dangerous!"

"There was that legend about the Black Dragon of Death. Long ago, when the Golden Goddesses descended upon Hyrule, they encountered this dragon. With their powers, they sealed it away within those caverns that were later dubbed the Forbidden Caverns. It is said the dragon still resides their, but of course, that's just a silly legend," the King explained casually. "You don't really believe it, do you?"

"I'm not sure. I remember when I was younger, the Great Deku Tree told me the same story," Link recalled. "But why would you send them there anyway? It's still dangerous!"

"They'll be fine, trust me," he smiled. "I wouldn't do anything that would endanger their lives."

Link looked away from the King. There was something about his words he could not trust.

* * *

"Good afternoon, ladies!" the King greeted as he approached the girls with a bounce in his step. He looked around and smiled. "I see you both are prepared already."

Link, following behind the King, studied the girls' new look. Malon wore a red form-fitting suit engraved with ancient Sheikah symbols. It was a battle suit he was familiar with. The suit, wrapped tightly around her, made her curvaceous form more obvious than before. He turned to Zelda, taking note that she was wearing a similar outfit with the exception that hers was blue.

The King smirked, leading the girls toward a path ahead. "I'm sure you have been wondering why I have sent orders for you to dress like that," he stopped, pointing down a small, narrow path. In the distance, the group could see the looming Forbidden Caverns.

Malon gasped, registering the caverns in her mind. "We have to go there?" she asked in disbelief.

The King nodded. "Correct. The final round of the competition will take place there. Now, follow me and I will explain everything to you."

As the King walked the trail, followed by Impa and Link, the girls remained stationary.

"I would have never guessed we would have to go there," Malon added dourly. "I would rather go anywhere else than there. I've heard stories about those caverns before. True or not, I want nothing to do with them."

"But, I do not think my father would send us there if it were a danger to our well-being," Zelda replied calmly. "I have heard the stories as well, but I believe they are nothing more that tales envisioned by storytellers."

Malon looked up, shaking her head. "I really hope you're right, Zelda."

"Come on! You two are slow!" the King shouted from a distance, waving his hands for the girls to follow. Sighing, they did as they were told.

At the end of the trail, the King stood proudly. By his side were Link and Impa who were less enthusiastic about the upcoming event. Zelda and Malon stood together at the border of the caverns. The King began pacing back and forth until he came to a sudden stop.

"All right. I will explain everything to you," he said, rubbing his chin. "As you can see, there are two entrances to the caverns. Inside, it is more maze-like than your previous obstacle courses. At the end of the caverns there will be a flag waiting for you. Take the flag and return it here. The first person who can do this will be declared the winner," he explained.

"What about the dragon that is said to live there?" asked Malon.

"Ah, don't believe that silly rubbish. The only thing you have to worry about is trying to find you way through the caverns," the King added, shrugging nonchalantly. "Any more questions?"

Everyone remained silent.

"But just in case a monster or two might be hiding in there, I will give you girls a weapon to defend yourself," he commented, nodding to Impa to retrieve their weapons. "These are fine swords created just for this event. They'll slice through anything."

Impa handed both Zelda and Malon a sword before returning to her place in line. "Remember to use it with care, okay?" she added.

"Now, are you two ready?" the King asked.

Malon looked down at the sword in her hands then toward the Forbidden Caverns. She dreaded going into the ominous caverns by herself with only a sword to protect her. She had come this far, but was it all worth it?

"Malon, are you ready?" the King asked again, this time sounding more annoyed.

"…Yes. I'm ready."

The King nodded. "All right then. Impa, show them to the entrance."

Impa led Zelda toward the first entrance on the left, then led Malon toward the entrance in the far right. Malon looked down at her hands, shaking with apprehension and fear. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. "It's just a tale. There are no such things as dragons," she chanted to herself.

"Malon," came a voice that pulled her from her thoughts.

She looked up and met Impa's gaze. "Yes?"

The Sheikah warrior remained silent for a moment. "Be careful. Never let your guard down, not even for a moment."

Malon was confused to why Impa would say that to her, and even more confused by the way she had said it. But the red-haired girl nodded and took the older woman's advice. "Thank you, Impa."

"Zelda. Malon. This is the last chance either of you have to pull out of the competition. Do either of you want to take this opportunity now?" he asked, a small glint of hope dripped from his voice. Maybe he was waiting for Malon to pull out.

But neither of them took that opportunity.

Sighing, the King waved his hand. "If that's how it'll be, then so be it. Good luck to both of you, and may the best woman win."

And at that moment, Link watched Malon's fleeting form disappear into the caverns.

* * *

Malon wrapped her arms around herself. The chilly wind blew from the entrance of the cave, only adding more to the eerie feeling. She had been walking for more than an hour, or so she had estimated. She had came across several dead ends, but eventually she had found the right path. She had not encountered any monsters during her exploration; a part of her was relieved, but another part worried her.

"What if that dragon ate all the monsters?" she asked herself, shaking her head. "No Malon, there are no dragons. Stop thinking about it."

She had already started regretting her decision. Could things have worked out differently if she had backed out? She would not have been wandering around aimlessly within the Forbidden Caverns if she had been honest beforehand. Sighing, Malon tightened her grip around herself.

She had always had a way of getting herself into trouble.

"Okay, all I have to do is find that stupid flag and get the hell out of here," she reminded herself. "But what if Zelda finds it before me? Ugh… I have to hurry."

Without paying attention to her surroundings, Malon suddenly tripped and fell to the ground in a graceless heap. Rubbing her head, she cursed herself mentally and pulled herself to her feet. Looking back, she examined the mound that she had tripped over.

"Ah!" she squealed, stumbling backwards only to be caught by the wall of the cavern. The skeleton of an unfortunate warrior decorated the ground. "Okay… He is dead… And he won't be jumping up to eat my flesh… He probably got lost and died of starvation or something," she whimpered. "Why do I always have to make everything sound worse?"

Without hesitation, Malon took off running. The skeleton only reminded her of what could happen to her if she did not hurry up.

"This place is so creepy," stopping in her tracks, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she reopened her eyes, she could see a welcoming light in the distance what resembled the end of the cavern. Her face brightened as she ran toward the area. It was a circular room decorated with several lanterns and rock slabs everywhere. It was anything but friendly—but she didn't care.

"All right! Almost done," she chirped, looking around the room. "This has got to be the end of the cavern. Now, where is that flag?"

It was then that she noticed an altar-like stand in the back of the room. She gleefully ran toward it. "I'm sure that's where the flag is! Then I can leave this place," she said to herself as she walked up toward the stand.

But once she reached the stand, she found that there was no flag.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Wait… Where is it? Is this where it's supposed to be or did I get lost?"

Sighing, Malon walked away from the altar slowly. She rubbed her chin in thought, shaking her head as she continued walking. "_I don't believe this… Maybe I took a wrong turn. No, this has got to be the room the King mentioned. But, where could the flag be?"_

Suddenly, Malon heard a low growl emanate from the back of the room. She froze in her tracks as she was too petrified to move. Then the room became deathly silent.

"Maybe I'm hearing things now…" she tried to convince herself. However, she had a feeling that something was in the room with her. Compelled to look, Malon slowly turned her head back toward the altar.

Her face turned ghostly white.

Screaming, she stumbled back onto the ground. Crawling away, she stopped again after hearing another growl. She could see two red eyes peering through the blanket of darkness from the back of cavern. Her heart began racing faster and faster as she scrambled to her feet.

She was the intruder in the dragon's cave.

As the monster emerged from the darkness into the light, Malon backed away instinctively and reached for the sword she was giving. But she knew in the back of her mind that fighting the dragon would be suicide.

"_I don't believe this…!"_ Malon thought, gulping inwardly. She continued to back up until she met the wall. Now she had cornered herself as the dragon pressed forward.

"_What am I going to do?" _she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "_Please be a dream… Please be a dream… Oh please don't be real!"_

Reopening her eyes, the only thing she could see was the dragon's claws racing toward her. Without hesitating, Malon quickly moved out of the way, allowing the dragon's claws to meet the wall behind her. Stumbling to her feet, Malon reached for her sword which lay next to her. But as she looked down, she noticed her sword had already been broken in half like a toy replica.

Her eyes widened—she had finally realized what was happening.

There was no flag.

She had interfered with the King's plans; she had become a thorn in his side. Now she finally realized it.

The King had sent Malon to her death.

"_I had been able to make it through the competition before… because… I was always rescued by someone. But now, there is no one. There's no Darunia. There's no Nabooru. There's no… Link. There's no one here to save me this time, and… This time I'm all by myself."_

The dragon turned its attention toward Malon. She eyed the exit, then glanced at the dragon. She had to escape. She didn't want to die like this.

She only had one chance to make it. Without waiting any longer, Malon jolted toward the exit as fast as she could.

"_I don't want to die like this! I'm not going to let the King have his way!"_

Not letting his prey get away, the dragon quickly whipped his tail out, slapping Malon away from the exit. She was thrown across the room like a rag doll, impacting the wall with a loud thud. She slid from the wall and onto the ground in a motionless heap.

She couldn't move. Her strength had wavered and abandoned her. She could hear the dragon's deafening footsteps grow closer before everything went black.

"_Link… I'm so sorry…"_

**Notes:** I'm evil. Two more chapters left, so remember to review!


	36. Chapter Thirty Six

Link paced back and forth nervously outside the Forbidden Caverns. The girls had been inside the cave for more than an hour, and Link's nervousness was beginning to show. The King embodied no signs of fret as he reassured Link everything was all right; however, Link's instinct told him better. After everything that had occurred over the past weeks, taking the King's word would be the worst decision Link could make.

Especially when his friend's life was in danger.

He looked down at his feet and noticed he had made a small trail from pacing back and forth. He sighed, looking toward the cavern again. How long would they have to wait before the King acted? Biting his lip from the overwhelming nervousness, Link clenched his hands together. What if something had happened to Malon? She had been so scared of the monsters. How would she be able to fight them all off?

If something happened to her, Link would never forgive himself for getting her into this mess. He would never forgive himself for allowing her to walk into the cavern without decent protection. He would never forgive himself for allowing her to enter the cavern period. He would never forgive himself. Never.

Malon had intertwined herself into his life. She had become apart of him he could only hope to be explained. Waking up and seeing her bright smile had become so familiar to him, losing it would now only dishevel his daily routine. Losing her would only leave his life in disarray. She was the light he had yearned for. She kept him from truly being alone.

She had become everything to him.

"Sir!" a young man came running toward the King. His eyes were wide with glee; Link swallowed his the knot in his throat as he expected the man to say the one thing he had hoped against.

The King smiled, nodding for the man to continue.

"It's Zelda! She has completed the course with all the requirements!" he explained with an energy no man should be allowed to bear. "She has won the competition!"

Without saying a word, Link lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"Zelda! Come here!" the King shouted, waving to his daughter. "You have won the competition! I had faith in you!" he laughed heartily, slapping his daughter on the back.

She laughed nervously, looking away from her father. "Thank you."

"Link, come here and stand with your future wife! You two will be wed shortly. I want to get this over with as soon as possible," he wiggled his eyebrows. "And maybe you two will give me some grandchildren while you're at it."

"Father!" Zelda shouted, embarrassed by her father's sudden comment.

It was inevitable. Zelda had won the competition. Link, somehow, was not too surprised by this feat. Zelda was an able fighter; she was, after all, the leader of the Sages and the wielder of the Triforce. Malon had stood no chance against Zelda.

"Now now. Come on, let us return to the castle. We have a lot to discuss," he ushered the group to follow him.

"Wait! What about Malon? She's still in there," Link said suddenly, looking back at the cave.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. She lost. She's a failure. There's no need for to come with us now. I'm sure she'll find her way out sooner or later, unless she's already dead," the King replied, with little emotion in his voice.

But his answer wasn't good enough for Link.

"So you're just going to leave her there? All by herself? What if she's hurt? What if she needs someone's help?" he shouted, trying to hide his anger with a calm face. "You're just going to let her rot and die in there all by herself? You would have done something if it were Zelda in there!"

The King narrowed his eyes at the young man's offending words.

"Link…" Zelda muttered, holding her hands close to her. "I will send Impa into the cavern after her. I'm sure Malon is well. Perhaps she had only gotten lost."

"No. I will not have it," the King said sharply. "Leave the girl be. Link doesn't seem to understand the agreement we had. Malon has lost. Zelda has won. The agreement was for you to marry the winner—not the loser. You favor that girl over the others. Do you think that is fair?"

Link cast a deadly glare toward the King. He could not remember ever being as angry as he was at that moment. The King was going to leave Malon to die. Malon, his Malon. She was alone, probably scared, crying out for help. And the King would walk away with no regret, leaving her pleads for help unanswered.

"I don't remember an agreement. I remember you saying this was a reward—but this isn't! A reward is supposed to make someone happy! I'm miserable and I hate every moment here! This competition was never for my benefit—it was for your own selfish wants! I don't want to marry your daughter!" Link shouted in a sudden outburst of anger and frustration. All the emotions and thoughts he had kept bottled up inside of him were finally coming out, albeit in a frenzy.

Zelda looked away sadly. His words had pierced her deeply.

The King chuckled, almost sinisterly, as his face hardened. "You were so confident that Malon would win. But now that she has lost, you want out of the deal. You had accepted the reward and now you don't want to take it because it's not what you had expected. Unfortunately, you cannot give it back. You had accepted it and now you must face the truth. You will marry my daughter, and you will not yell at me like that again."

Link was surprised how calm the King had remained. He had known he had the upper hand and he flaunted it. However, the King was right. Link had accepted the reward, although unwillingly, and to withdraw from the marriage would not only shame the King and Princess Zelda but him as well.

He had no choice. He had gotten himself into the mess. It was his job to fix it; however, he had thrown all the burden onto Malon's shoulders. He had expected her to win so he would not have to marry. He had expected so much from her and never once thought of how she felt about the mess. She had become his ticket to remain free.

He had used her. He was no different from the King.

The King's face softened. "Why do you have to be so stubborn? You know that I hate being angry."

Link closed his eyes tightly. "I will go through with it… But I will not leave Malon behind," he stated sternly. "I will not leave her there to die."

The King shrugged. "If that is your will, then fine."

He turned sharply, and with Impa by his side, he headed toward his carriage awaiting him. Zelda looked down, refusing to meet Link's icy glare.

"I apologize… What my father did was unacceptable."

Link's stare softened. "You should stop apologizing for your father's action. It's not like you're the one who made this stupid competition."

She smiled faintly. "Hm. Perhaps. Malon had told me the same thing awhile ago," she paused, sighing. "Shall I help you with the rescue? I could be of some assistance."

"Thanks for the offer, Zel. But this is something I have to do by myself," he waved his hand casually, turning toward the cave. "Besides, your father would kill you if you helped me."

"Then please be careful. The cavern is a maze," she stopped and looked away. "And I believe a dragon might reside within it as well."

Link's eyes widened. The dragon Malon had been so worried about was inside the cavern. What if she had encountered it? What if she was forced to fight it? Without saying another word, Link quickly ran toward the cavern. Malon needed his help.

* * *

He ran until his legs felt as if they had caught fire. The burning sensation surging through his legs could not keep him from his search. The sound of his footsteps and the dew dripping from the stalactites were all he could hear; it was beginning to drive him to the brink of insanity. Was he too late? 

Link stopped abruptly as he felt the oxygen leave him. Panting heavily, Link rested his hand on the wall of the cave to keep himself from falling over. The sweat rolled from his brow to his nose and then began to drip slowly to the ground below. The air was humid, and the stench of death was strong.

Malon. She had walked the same path as him. She had breathed in the same air he was breathing. She had heard the same noises as he did. She had smelled the same stench as he did. But why did she not stop? Why did she not turn back? She had continued with fierce determination—she had been willing to face the consequences for him.

For him.

Malon was in this competition for him.

Link shut his eyes tightly and pulled himself from the wall. It was his fault. Everything. If Malon suffered it would be because of him.

He, looking down, turned to his side. His brow creased at the sight of a decayed corpse laying on the ground next to his feet. He could not say how long the corpse had been there. The sight of death no longer bothered him, but somehow, he was angered by seeing the corpse.

It reminded him of how Malon was left alone to die.

Clenching his fists, the young man continued his search. Zelda had been right—the cavern was like a maze. There were many twists and turns, and many more dead ends. Link had lost track of the time and he could not honestly say how long he had been wandering inside the cavern. It could have been hours and he would not even have realized it.

Looking ahead Link noticed a small ray of light. He immediately began running in that direction without another thought. There was no doubt in Link's mind that it was the room he had been searching for. Upon entering the room he noticed the bleak and eerie atmosphere. Dew trickled from the ceiling in an infinite pattern, and silence only seemed to strengthen the repetitive sound. The room was dimly lit, but compared to the whole cavern, it was the brightest room. In the back of the room stood a pedestal with nothing gracing its top.

Could Malon have already retrieved the flag? Was she somewhere else within the cavern?

Instead of leaving the room to continue looking for Malon, Link stepped further into the room. He was always one to listen to his gut feelings—and his gut feeling was telling him to investigate the room further. The sounds of his footsteps echoed, and he could see his breath form into a cloud, which disappeared as soon as it formed, in front of him.

He approached the pedestal in the back of the room. It looked virtually untouched. He sighed, annoyed by his findings. But he knew that giving up was not the answer.

Turning around to leave the room, Link noticed what seemed to be body laying in a motionless heap in the corner of the room. He squinted his eyes to examine his finding further until it registered in his mind.

It was Malon's body.

Link jumped from the pedestal and began running toward her. The only thought on his mind was that she could possibly be…

Link felt the ground shake tremendously beneath him. He held out his arms to catch himself from falling over. "_What was that…?"_ he thought, pulling himself from his crouched position.

Then he felt warm breath running down his back. Something was behind him.

Without turning his head he looked at the foe from the corner his eyes. It was exactly as he expected. The monster that had attacked Malon was preparing to do the same to Link.

With one swift motion, the dragon whipped its tail around. Link quickly dodged the attack with a back flip, landing softly on the ground behind the dragon. Without hesitation Link pulled the Master Sword from its sheath and rested his shield in front of him. He looked down and examined a broken sword; it was the sword the King had given to Malon, and now it—broken in half like a toy sword—was strewn carelessly on the ground.

The dragon turned its body to meet Link. Distracted by the weapon laying on the ground, Link almost did not see the dragon's claws racing toward him. He quickly raised his shield and blocked the dragon's continuing thrusts before rolling to the side in a desperate attempt to escape. Pulling his sword to his side, Link jumped onto the dragon and drove the sword into its back.

Wailing in pain, the dragon roughly shook Link from its back. He fell onto the ground with a sickening thud and gasped sharply from the throbbing sensation coursing through his body. He winced, looking up only to see the dragon's foot above him as it readied itself for another attack. He quickly rolled away before the dragon could stomp him mercilessly into the ground.

Reaching for his sword which had been thrown from his grip upon landing, he pulled himself into a standing position and prepared himself for another blow dealt by his foe. Pushing Link's back into the wall, the dragon lifted its claws and drove them toward Link. He ducked, missing the blade-like claws by mere inches, and rolled to the dragon's side. He pulled out his bow and light arrows and readied to strike the dragon trying to pull its claws, which had become stuck in the wall, out.

He narrowed his eyes and aimed carefully, shooting the arrow straight into the dragon's neck. The dragon bellowed in pain, swinging its tail madly. Link dodge the attack with a well-executed back hand sprang. He landed on the ground in a couching stance, holding himself up with his hand. He took this moment to catch his breath before readying another arrow.

The dragon, now free, quickly swung his claws around and struck Link with great momentum. The Hero of Time landed on his side, rolling several more feet from the energy of the attack. He winced in pain, bringing his hand to his now-sliced side.

The dragon wasted no time with another attack. It lowered its head and began to run full force toward Link. The young man, drained from fighting, scampered away desperately causing the dragon to ram itself into the wall behind him. The room shook violently for a moment, knocking Link to the ground. The dragon, regaining its energy, turned to finish Link off. He tiredly pulled himself up and was ready to defend himself.

However, when the dragon rammed into the wall, it had knocked the ceiling loose, causing half of it to topple down onto the dragon. After Link was sure it would not come back for more, he sighed in relief, kneeling and dropping his arm to his side.

It was a pathetic victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Regaining his energy, Link ran to Malon's side. He knelt down, lifting her carefully in his arms.

"Malon," he breathed heavily. "Please wake up…"

She remained motionless.

Pulling her limb body closer to his, he gritted his teeth. "Malon… I'm so sorry. I should have been here sooner," he whispered, burying his head in her hair. "Please forgive me."

She was cold. Her lips and skin were discolored. She remained motionless—not even a rise in her chest. He held her body close to his, stroking her rust-colored hair gently. And for the first time in a long time, Link found himself crying. He didn't bother wiping the tears from his eyes, allowing them to roll freely down his face and onto Malon.

It was his fault. He had failed to save her. He could not save the one person whom he…

Then he caught something from the corner of his eyes; her hand moved.

His eyes widened and he pulled his head to her chest. There was a heartbeat, a weak heartbeat but it was there. He slowly lifted her from the ground and cradled her in his arms. There was still time. He could still save her.

He quickly ran toward the exit. The King had set Malon up. There was no flag—only a dragon. He betrayed her… and him. The King would not get away with this; Link would guarantee it.

Suddenly, the room began to shake intensely. Link fell backwards but managed to retained his stance. He looked around attentively. Was the dragon still alive?

Link discovered it was not the dragon disrupting the room, however, it was the whole cave shaking. The cave was crumbling with him inside.

"It must have been when the dragon rammed the cave," he said aloud, looking around. "I've got to get out of here before it caves in on us."

Unfortunately the ceiling fell in, blocking the exit. Link backed away before the rocks could fall onto him. He cursed himself mentally for stalling and looked around for another escape route.

There was no other exit. He was trapped.

"Dammit!" he screamed, holding Malon tightly. "Is this how it's going to end? How am I going to save her when I can't even save myself?"

The shaking worsened. Link fell to his knees and covered Malon's head with his hands. The ceiling crumbled around them, covering them both in dust and debris. Link closed his eyes tightly. "_I never got to tell Malon that…"_

Before the remainder of the cave collapsed onto them, Link caught a glimpse of pink light encasing him and Malon. And then everything turned white.

**Notes: **One more chapter to go! Everything will finally be explained! But will it end with a happy ending? I'm really going to miss writing this story, especially after recalling one of my favorite scenes—Darunia and the King's nude picture (Chapter Twenty Three). It still cracks me up when I think of it. **Remember to review!** I am still aiming for one thousand reviews!


	37. Chapter Thirty Seven

He fumbled with his hands nervously. He sat in the chair furthest from the bed, and with his elbows resting carefully on his knees, he stared blankly at the wooden floor. It was covered in dust, possibly due to the lack of maintenance; Malon had been away from home for weeks, and Link doubted Ingo or Talon would tend to the bedroom. He shook his head. His mind was wandering again. He wanted to forget, but his conscience would not let him.

He was grateful that he was still around. He had been in life-threatening situations before but he would always find a way to overcome them. However, during that time inside the Forbidden Caverns, he was lost. He could not think clearly as the cave began to close in around him. He had thought it was over. He had thought that it was his time to die. But then a warm, pink aura had encased him and Malon.

He was grateful yet ashamed at the same time.

She had given herself to him without hesitation. And he had turned her away. He slowly picked away at her until he left her broken. And even though he had hurt her, she came selflessly to him in his time of need. He was grateful that Zelda had saved him and Malon, but he was ashamed that he had hurt her feelings by rejecting her hand in marriage.

Now he sat in Malon's room, staring at her sleeping form on the bed. Talon and Ingo were no where to be found but Link was content with their absence. It was better that they were not at home; they would ask too many questions that he was not willing to answer.

A cool spring breeze came in from the opened window. He glanced at the floor and watched the dust balls act as tumbleweeds bouncing in the desert sands. He was tempted to go outside and pluck some flowers to place in the empty vase next to Malon's bed; however, he could not bring himself to leave her alone. It was his fault she was in the state she was in. He was the only one to blame.

He stood from his seat and walked over to her bedside. She stirred again; her face contorted. He frowned, brushing her fallen bangs from her eyes. He hated seeing her like this. He promised himself he would stay until he knew she would be all right alone.

Then he would leave.

He had to go through with it. He had accepted his gift from the King even before the competition began. Although rather reluctantly, he had agreed to marry the winner of the competition. He did not care if he would disgrace the King by rejecting the gift, but Zelda did not deserve to be disgraced again.

After all, she had saved his and Malon's life. He felt somewhat obligated to consent to the marriage.

He knew Malon. She would do her best to convince Link to stay and not marry. And he knew himself. He would listen to her. He snorted, shaking his head. If Malon had offered to run away and elope together he would probably take her up on that offer.

She stirred again. Mumbling tired words, she rolled onto her side. Link half-smiled, feeling a little at ease that she was recovering quickly. She had taken a nasty bump to the head, but she was tougher than he gave her credit for.

"She's going to be okay," Link said to himself, turning to the door. "I probably should go before she wakes up."

He approached the door, pausing momentarily before reaching for the doorknob. He felt guilty for leaving her by herself. She would want an explanation when she awoke, and she deserved one. He sighed, looking away. Would he leave her stranded just as the King had earlier?

"Link…?"

He froze, still holding the doorknob. He closed his eyes tightly, fearing to face the woman behind him. Malon pulled herself into a sitting position and looked around the room in a confused manner. Link heard her shuffling in her bed behind him. He sighed, releasing the doorknob.

"Well, looks like Sleeping Beauty has finally awakened," he commented lightheartedly, turning around to meet her with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Malon lowered her eyes, gripping the sheets tighter. "My head hurts a little, but I think I'm fine."

"That's good…"

Then silence drifted freely into the room.

Malon brought her hand to her forehead and sighed. What had happened to her? She remembered the dragon that had attacked her. Did Link rescue her? She lifted her head and stared at Link across the room. A trouble looked was plastered on his face. Malon closed her eyes, knowing the reason.

She had lost the competition.

"Thanks you for helping me, Link," she muttered almost inaudibly.

He had heard and half-smiled, shifting his weight. "Don't thank me. If it weren't for Zelda, we both wouldn't be here right now. She used her powers to teleport both of us from the cave," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Malon opened her eyes. "Zelda saves us? I guess we owe her, don't we?"

Link looked away. "Yeah…"

Malon caught the sadness in his voice, and she moved to stand. She winced slightly from the sudden sting of pain in her side. Link lifted his hands and motioned for her to stop.

"You don't need to be moving around so much. You still need to get some rest and recover," he insisted, sighing in relief when she listened. "I don't think you'll be doing any chores anytime soon either. The doctor said you just needed some rest."

Malon sighed, frustrated. She was confined to her bed like a prison. Link paced across from her bed slowly, mumbling something about the doctor's orders. Malon, half-listening, nodded and looked out the window next to her bed. The birds were perched on the small tree outside her window as they chirped their songs. She smiled, watching the leaves dance in the wind.

"You're not listening, Mal."

She turned her attention toward Link and frowned. "I heard you. I have to stay in bed and rest."

He shook his head and sighed. "That's not all I said."

"Listen, I'll be fine, okay? I'm just a little sore but it's not that bad," she insisted, throwing the sheets from her legs.

"If you're going to be fine, then I think I should go now," he said, turning toward the door. "Don't do anything to stress yourself."

Malon, despite the pain surging through her side, stood quickly. "Wait! I'm sorry if I upset you."

He shrugged. "No, it's nothing you did."

"Then why don't you stay? I can make something to eat," she insisted, walking toward the door. "Aren't you hungry?" she asked, smiling.

He narrowed her eyes. How could she be in such a good mood after what had happened? Link shook his head and looked away. "Why are you so cheerful? Don't you remember what happened?"

Malon looked down at the floor. "Yes… I remember. But I'm trying not to think about it…"

"I'm sorry for reminding you then," he added sadly, walking toward the door again. "But I need to go."

"You're going to marry her, aren't you?" Malon said grimly before he opened the door.

"She won. That was part of the _reward_, remember?" Link replied, looking at the door.

Malon felt her heart drop to the floor and break. She had promised to win the competition, but lost. Link believed he had to marry Zelda because of the circumstances. Malon shook her head. "You don't have to marry her. You're not being forced to go through with it."

Instead of agreeing with her, Link began to laugh. Malon stepped back in shock that he was actually laughing at her.

"Good one, Mal."

"You think I'm joking about this?" she spat angrily. "I'm being serious!"

"Malon, I already accepted the marriage. I have to go through with it now."

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is!" he shouted back. "You don't understand."

Offending, Malon turned her head away. "I think you're the one who doesn't understand anything. You're just letting them use you, and you listen because you don't know what else to do! Can't you think for yourself?"

"I don't feel like getting a lecture from you right now," he said bitterly, opening the door.

He was going to leave. He was going to leave and marry Zelda. Malon shut her eyes tightly. He was being led blindly through a minefield with no sense of direction. He had no idea about the truth, and it was her fault for keeping the truth from him. She had no choice but to tell him. She had to stop him from leaving her.

"The competition was rigged!" she shouted before he could take another step.

Link stopped, turning his head slowly toward Malon. "What?"

She looked down, sighing. "The competition was rigged. The King had it planned where Zelda would win no matter what. Her victory was inevitable."

He remained silent for a moment. Malon's heart began to race as she felt Link's temper rising.

"How do you know about this?" he asked slowly, almost fearing her answer.

Malon closed her eyes tightly, wrapping her arms around herself. She swallowed the knot forming in her throat. "I found out when I read the King's diary one night in his office," she answered warily.

"How long have you known…?" his voice did nothing to hide the anger and shock he felt.

"For a while…"

Malon heard Link's footsteps approach her, and then she felt his hand yank her arm away from her. She opened her eyes, gasping at his sudden motions. She refused to look at his face, knowing his eyes were staring daggers into her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said, raising his voice slightly. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

His grip tightened around her arm. She tried to pull away from him, but he remained stationary.

"You're hurting me, Link."

His eyes softened, releasing his grip. Her arm fell to her side, and with her free hand, she rubbed her arm where he had grabbed her. "I'm sorry… I should have told you," she replied slowly.

He snorted, turning away from her. "I'm surprised. Of all the people I know, I thought you would have been the one I could trust the most," he said nonchalantly, shrugging. "I guess I was wrong."

Her head snapped up in his direction. "I made a mistake, Link. Everyone is entitled to make them!"

"But I trusted you!" he barked, looking down. "I trusted you… Why would you keep this from me? If I had known this, I could have used it to end the competition before it got worse. But now…"

Malon allowed her shoulders to sink. She was only human, and she was not perfect. She had made a mistake. She had not thought the consequences through, and now they were beginning to pile messily on top of each other. She sighed, shaking her head.

Why had she kept the truth from him? Was the competition that important to her that she had to hide the truth from her friend despite everything? She closed her eyes tightly. She knew why she had not told him the truth.

"I… It was because… I wanted to be with you…"

The room became silent again. It was an unwelcoming silence; she hated it.

He didn't turn around to face her, but instead all Malon could hear from him was a sigh. She lowered her head shamefully. Why place more burden on him now?

"You wanted to be with me, so you thought your only hope was this competition," his words came out as more of a statement than a question. "But now I guess we both lose, eh?"

Malon narrowed her eyes dangerously. He had to have been joking. His voice sounded serious, but his words were a joke. She shook her head, biting her lower lip to keep from screaming.

"I don't understand…" were the only words Malon could produce.

"I don't understand anything anymore!" Link shouted, followed by a bitter laugh. "I hate being lied to. I hate knowing that the one person I trust the most kept the truth from me! But… I can't hate you… I just can't."

He loved her. He knew he did. But she had lied to him, broken his trust and left him in the dark. She had kept the truth from him for her own gain. Link did not want to marry, and Malon had known this fact. Instead of telling him the truth to prevent a marriage, she kept it from him and proceeded to win the right to marry him.

But she wanted to be with him, or so she had told him. He looked away, feeling guilty and somewhat betrayed. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do, but she had hurt him. Didn't she deserve to feel the same pain as he had?

"I wanted to be with you, too."

Malon met his eyes from across the room. Had he said what she thought he had said? She smiled weakly at his words, clasping her hands together.

"But you kept the truth from me. I have to marry Zelda now," he scoffed. "I guess that means we cannot be together like we wanted, eh?"

"Even now that you know the truth, you will still go through with the marriage?" she shouted, almost enraged. "If you want to be with me like you say you do, then why let this stupid competition stop you?"

"If you wanted to be with me so bad, then why couldn't you tell me the truth?" he counted, narrowing his eyes.

"I made a mistake, Link! I'm sorry! I was so caught up in my own desires that I forgot about the one person whom I…" she stopped, looking away. "I'm sorry…"

He remained silent, backing away from her. "Sorry isn't going to end this marriage."

"That's right! Because you're the only one who can end it, and you're too afraid to even try!"

He glowered, shaking his head. "It's too late now."

"Get out."

"What?"

"I said get out of my house!" she screamed, her voice becoming more demanding.

Link was taken aback by Malon's sudden command. She wanted him to leave. Angered by her demands, Link shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. I'll leave," he added dryly, walking toward the door.

"I hope you have a great life in the castle," she commented sarcastically.

He stopped in his tracks, turning around to meet her ever-so-cold stare. "You know, I think I just might. And when I become King of Hyrule, I'll make sure to get my milk from someone else."

Malon quickly reached for the nearest object to lunge at Link. He avoided the vase by mere inches, scrambling to his feet in a confused daze.

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

He didn't bother stopping again. He had enough. He should have been the one throwing vases; she had lied to him and used him for her own gain. But he had used her, too, didn't he?

He slammed the door shut, making the wall shake slightly behind him. Sighing, he rested his back on the door. Why was he feeling the way he was? There was something inside of him telling him to run back into her room and hold her. But there was something else telling him to leave her be. He laughed bitterly, running his fingers through his hair.

That was when he heard Malon crying. He had made her cry.

"_I'm sorry, but I can't be with you Malon."_

He gently pushed himself off the door and left Malon behind.

* * *

The King cupped his hand around his face, and sighed. The servants were busy arranging the decorations for the wedding. He, on the other hand, sat idly on the sidelines. He should have been happy his daughter was finally getting married. But he felt horrible. 

He sat alone in the courtyard, contemplating his decision. Link had always been like a son to him, and he had lied to him. He had betrayed his trust; he had betrayed the one man who had saved his kingdom and his people. Was deceiving Link enough to bring happiness to his daughter?

Upon hearing footsteps in the grass, the King looked forward. Grinning, he moved slightly left and made another seat on the stone steps for his visitor.

"Good evening, Link," he said, extending his hand. "Sit down with me, boy."

He paused momentarily, but quickly took the King on his offer. "You're in a good mood," he greeted dryly. "I never thought I see you sitting outside, much less on the ground."

The King chuckled slightly, resting his arms on his knees. "I'm just a person, too, you know. The only difference between you and I are our titles."

"I suppose…"

"I apologize for my behavior earlier," the King added. "Impa didn't add my usual dose of sugar in my breakfast. I'm afraid I was in a foul mood."

Link could only scoff at the King's odd comment.

The King looked skyward, smiling. "Link, do you remember when I told you I pushed my wife out the window, and that was how she died?"

Link cleared his throat. "…Yeah."

"The truth is, I loved my wife very much. She had always been ill ever since we first met, but she was as charming and charismatic as ever."

Link looked to his right, staring at the King. "You didn't push her out of a window?"

"No, she died shortly after giving birth to Zelda," he paused. "She never once had a chance to hold our baby."

"I'm sorry…"

The King shifted. "She was still smiling, even knowing she was dying. I promised her I'd do anything to our child happy."

"Even if it's by rigging a competition?" Link added, looking away.

"Yes."

Link stood quickly, raising his arms in frustration. "But what about my happiness? Don't I deserve a say in this, too?"

"…"

"I don't want to get married," Link said, dropping his arms to his side. "I just want to be happy."

The King slowly pulled himself from the steps. He stretched slightly, clasping his arms around his back. He paced slowly toward the stain glass window and peered inside. "You want to know the truth. I understand."

"Why…? Why did you do this to me?" he asked, almost choking on his words. "I want to know why!"

"Link."

Link stopped, turning his head to meet the voice behind him. There Zelda stood, clad in a beautiful white dress that hugged her slender figure. Her hair was draped around her shoulders; the ends were slightly curled. She wore her diamond encrusted tiara with the white veil attached and pulled back; Link noticed the tiara was still missing the diamonds he had taken out.

"Zelda," the King began sternly, "Link and I are speaking. You should be preparing for the wedding."

Ignoring her father's orders, Zelda approached Link. "Father, I shall not have you take the blame for me any longer."

Link cocked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Zelda?"

The King turned and faced his daughter. "Zelda…"

"Link, I believe that you deserve to know the truth," she began. "I was the one who had called for a competition—it was my idea."

Link's eyes widened in a shocked manner. He opened his mouth to reply to her confession, but no words would come out.

Zelda smiled faintly, looking down. "My father was only a pawn in my game. I directed him from the shadows—I was in charge of everything. Every little detail. Everything. My father was the one who pulled it together, and he made it work."

Link clenched his fists into balls, nibbling on his lip to keep from lashing out on Zelda. It was her that had deceived him. She was the puppet master controlling the mindless puppets. The competition was merely a masquerade; everyone wore masks, deceiving the other.

"Link," began Zelda. "Please, do not hate my father. If there is anyone here to blame it is I."

"I'm angry… But more importantly, I'm confused. I just want to know why."

"I wanted to be with you."

Link bit his lip again, turning his back to her. Malon had said the same words earlier. He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "What about all those innocent girls who died? What about the ones who were hurt?"

"I had planned everything thoroughly, even them. Those girls who competed in the competition, they are loyal servants of mine," she paused momentarily. "And no, they were neither hurt nor killed. I assure you; they are all well."

"But…"

"However, not everything had gone through as planned. There were several inconveniences," she said, placing a hand on Link's shoulder. "The time when you were poisoned. The time we had become lost in the Lost Woods and were attacked. The time Malon had fell from the cliff into the water, and you saved her. None of that was planned, and it hindered everything."

The King, crossing his arms, shifted his weight. "I was the one who had convinced the Sages to join the competition; that was for my own amusement."

Zelda felt Link's shoulders tense up. She allowed her hand to slide from his shoulders and drop to her side. "Yes, they had agreed to help me by playing along in my competition."

"You mean, everyone knew?" Link almost choked on his words.

Zelda shook her head. "Nabooru knew. As did Ruto, Saria, Impa… They all knew, and played their parts silently."

"…Darunia?"

"No."

Link felt a small wave of relief wash over him. His _sworn brother_ had remained faithful to him.

"I don't understand why they would do this…"

"It had taken a lot of convincing on my father's part, but they meant no harm," she laughed weakly. "Ruto was against the idea at first, of course. But I believe she found someone else during the course of the competition."

"I don't believe this," Link threw his hands into the air, and laughed bitterly. "Everyone knew what was going on! I don't know if I can trust anyone anymore."

"I know that an apology will never make up for what I had done," Zelda added sincerely. "I will not hold you to the wedding—I have canceled it."

"Even still… I don't know what else to do," he muttered, rubbing his face with his calloused hands.

"Go to her."

Link lowered his hands, shooting a glance at Zelda. "She hates me now."

"She was the only one in the competition for you. She loves you; I can tell. The two of you are too stubborn to even realize it," Zelda smiled faintly. "I could never forgive myself if I forced you to marry me against your will. I could never live with myself knowing that you would always love another woman."

"She made you change your mind?" Link asked.

"Yes. When I realized your feelings for her, that was when I began to understand that what I had started was wrong. I admire her greatly. Even with all odds against her, she continued fighting with fierce determination and devotion," Zelda clasped her hands together. "She may have kept the truth from you, but her desire was not to hurt you."

Link sighed, lowering his shoulders. He remembered leaving her crying; he remembered hurting her. How could he go back to her?

"Do not stall. She needs you more than anything right now," the King piped from behind. "Do you want me to call the guards and escort from my castle?"

"I thought you wanted me to marry Zelda," Link said, rolling his eyes.

The King smiled. "She's the boss. If she said the wedding is off, then it's off. I'm not going to torture you anymore."

Link nodded, glancing at the King and Zelda. And without saying another word, he took off to find Malon.

"Father, I'm sad that I let him go, but it was the right thing to do," Zelda turned, shaking her head. "I'm ashamed of myself for being selfish and false."

"Link's always been a forgiving guy," the King laughed. "Although, it might take him awhile to forgive us."

"As long as he's happy, then I'll be happy," she smiled, turning back to her father who began coughing hoarsely. "Father!"

* * *

He didn't bother knocking as he ran into the house. Running up the stairs, he opened the door to Malon's room in a hurry. 

"Malon! I'm sorry!"

"What in tarnation!"

"AH!" Link slammed the door shut. "Uh… Sorry, Talon. I didn't know you were home."

Talon, baffled, opened the door. "Is there something wrong?"

"I'm looking for Malon. Is she here?" Link asked hastily.

Talon shook his head. "Is she supposed to be home. The last thing I remember was her going to that competition of yours."

Link slapped his forehead, sighing. "The competition is over, and Malon should have been home in bed resting!"

Talon cocked his head sideways in a confused manner. "Well, I haven't seen her and I've been home for a little while."

Link nodded, thanking Talon before returning to his faithful horse. Malon had been ordered by the doctor to remain in bed and rest, but yet, she had wandered off somewhere without telling a single soul. Frustrated, Link cursed himself mentally for letting this happen.

Then it dawned on him.

"_Link, can this be _our _special place?"_

Their special place—the small pond just outside the ranch. Link had always loved going there when he wanted to contemplate his problems. If there was any place in Hyrule that Malon would run to, it would be there. He wasn't even sure if she had gone there, but it was his only clue to finding her.

Gently kicking Epona's side, he was off again.

* * *

Humming aloud, Malon weaved together another flower tiara. She carefully placed it on the ground next to the others, and she silently counted them in her head. 

"I must be bored if I'm making these," she shook her head. "I haven't made them since I was a little girl."

She pulled her knees into her chest, and resting her head on her knees, she closed her eyes. She had cried enough earlier. All she wanted to do was relax and get her mind free of him. But as she tried so hard to not think of him, he was the only thing she could think about.

"If he wants to marry Zelda, then fine," she pouted inwardly. "Maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe he's not the person I thought he was."

She stopped humming, plucking more flowers from the ground. She didn't need him; she had spent the past hour convincing herself that she didn't need him. Weaving together the flower stems, she sighed again. She felt horrible for lying to Link, but there was nothing she could do to change the fact that she had lied. She had hurt him just as he had hurt her.

Looking at her newly-made flower tiara, she half-smiled. "I guess I won't have anyone else to wear them."

"Flower tiaras! I remember these," came a voice from behind.

Malon dropped her flower tiara, quickly pulling herself into a standing position. "What are _you_ doing here? I thought you were to partake in a wedding?" she added sullenly.

Link held his hands up in his defense. "Hey, this is my special place, too."

Malon crossed her arms as she glared daggers into him. "Well, that's nice to hear."

"Are you still mad?"

"I have every right to be mad!"

"Hey! _I_ have every right to be mad!"

"Don't tell me you just came here to remind me! You're such an ass, Link!"

"What! You're the one who started it!"

"Arg! Will you just leave me alone?"

"Not until I get my flower tiara!"

"No! I didn't make them for you!"

"You used to always make me wear them when we were kids!"

"We're not kids anymore!"

"I still want one!"

Malon sighed, slapping her forehead. He was being childish and stubborn, not to mention aggravating. Malon knelt down, picking up the flower tiara she had dropped earlier. With an angry glare, she stomped over to Link and shoved the tiara into his hands.

"There! Happy?"

"No… You have to put it on my head."

"How old are you? Five?"

Link stuck his tongue out, lowering his head slightly. Malon's eye twitched as she snatched the tiara from his hand and messily stuck it over his green cap on his head.

Before she could pull her hand away, Link gently took it into his.

"Let go!"

"Malon, please forgive me," he raised his head, looking into her shifting eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I was upset and confused. I didn't mean what I said."

"Please let go…"

"I never wanted to do anything that would make you cry. I understand everything now. I was stupid for not listening to you. I should have said something. Instead, I used you as my ticket out of the marriage because I was too afraid to say something," Link clasped her hand tighter. "I know the truth about the competition now. The wedding was called off. There's no wedding."

Malon stopped her struggling, and cast a glance at Link. "I don't understand what happened."

"Zelda told me everything," he smiled sheepishly. "Besides, we won't have to have an affair now since I won't be married."

With her free hand, Malon slapped Link upside his head. "Link! Stop kidding around!"

"I'm sorry…"

"So, how did Zelda know? Was she… Was she in on it, too?" asked Malon slowly.

Link nodded. "Yeah. The truth is, she was the one who started the competition."

"Wow… The one person I would have never guessed was the one person who was behind everything," Malon said, looking away. "Link, I'm sorry, too. I know that trust is something very important to you, and I broke it. I never meant to hurt you…"

"…I know. Don't worry about it," he pulled her into an embrace. "You just gave me something to use as blackmail against you."

"Link!"

"Sorry!"

* * *

"No, I want it over in the corner!" directed Malon who was carrying a milk pail in each hand. "If you put it _there_ everyone will just trip over it!" 

It had only been two days since the competition. Link, having decided to take a break from the castle, moved into Malon's home. She made him sleep on the couch at night, and during the day, she had become a slave driver and forced him to help with chores.

Link lifted the box again and placed it in the corner of the stables. "Is there anything else, Master?" he replied jokingly.

Malon, rolling her eyes, stood and dusted her dress off. "Oh hush. It doesn't hurt to help with chores."

Link laughed, scratching his head. "Hmm. I don't know about that. I do have a cramp in my leg… and I think I might be bleeding profusely from my ear… And…"

"It doesn't hurt to help!"

Link wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Of course it doesn't hurt, as long as it's you I'm helping."

Malon sighed, smiling. "Let's take a break. I can fix us some lunch. Hungry?"

"Mal, I'm always hungry."

She laughed, leaving the stables and entering her house with Link following closely behind. Once in the kitchen, she gasped and stopped suddenly, having Link bump into her from behind. There was a visitor in the house.

"Impa? What are you doing here?" Link asked, shocked.

"I came to see you, Link," she stood, pushing in the chair.

"Is something wrong?" asked Malon, looking around the room.

"Link, we need to talk in private," she stated, heading for the door.

"Uh… All right," he turned to Malon. "I'll be outside. It'll just be a moment."

Link followed Impa outside the small home. The older woman sighed, shading her eyes from the afternoon sun. "You seem well," she began; her voice was slightly amused.

"Malon takes care of me."

Impa half-smiled. "Yes, it seems peaceful here. I'm sure she'd make a good wife one day."

Link smiled. "Maybe."

Impa chuckled slightly. "Yes… You found out about the competition, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Zelda loved you; she wanted to be with you. But, I believe she is taking the blame for things she did not insist upon," Impa stated, clearing her throat. "Her father wanted you to become the next King of Hyrule. He had always wanted you to take over his kingdom. Zelda knew this, and to fulfill her father's desires, she called for the competition. He agreed to help her, because he knew she would be happy with you and his kingdom would be taken care of."

"I don't understand. You mean, the only reason Zelda did this was for her father?" Link asked, trying to clarify what he had heard.

"Yes. That is correct."

"Then…"

"The King had never pressured her about marriage. But he had told her once he wanted you to take care of her and his kingdom," Impa looked down. "She wanted to make her father happy, and so the competition began."

"I see…"

"Link," Impa turned around. "He was very sick. His last wish was for his daughter to be happy."

Link jerked his head up. "Wait a minute…"

"He gave me something to give to you," she said as she approached her white horse. She lifted the cloak from the horse and pulled out the gift.

"Carlito…"

Impa half-smiled. "He had this teddy bear since he was a child. He wanted you to have it."

"Impa," Link's voice became desperate. "What… What happened?"

"The King died."

Link choked on his breath. Coughing, he shot his eyes in Impa's direction.

"No… No! Why?"

"He was sick, Link."

Link closed his eyes, gripping Carlito tighter. The King had never mentioned anything to him about being ill. Opening his eyes, he searched the bear, taking note of the small letter attached to it.

'_Carlito loves bubble baths and chocolate milk. He gets cranky when he doesn't get his afternoon nap, too. Also, Carlito hates to be called Carl. Remember to take care of him for me, Link. And please, don't worry about me. I'm with my wife now.'_

Link could feel a tear trickle down his cheek. The King, the man who had always driven him up the wall, was gone. The King had always been energetic and loud, but somehow, he's always made Link laugh—even if it were at the King's expense. He would miss the King's booming laugh and crazy antics. He would miss the King's morning pranks and odd stories. He would miss the King more than anything.

He wasn't a bad man like everyone had thought; he just wanted his daughter to be happy. He was only trying to fulfill his promise to his deceased wife.

Impa bowed her head, pulling herself onto her mare. "I need to go back to the castle now. Zelda needs me more than anything right now."

As she rode off, Malon came out from the house. "Link? Are you okay? What did she say?"

Link looked back, showing Malon the teddy bear. "The King is dead, Mal," his voice cracked; it was almost inaudible.

Without saying a word, she approached Link from behind. She wrapped her arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder. She squeezed him tightly, and motioned him to follow her inside.

"I made some lunch. We should eat a little, okay?" she said gently, smiling weakly.

Link nodded, following Malon inside. "Hey, can you make some chocolate milk?"

**Notes: **It's finally complete, and just before its two year anniversary! The King had been my favorite character to write, and I was sad to write the ending. I hope you enjoyed the story! I appreciate everyone who's supported this story for **two years**! Thanks for all the reviews!

Remember to check out The Things That Cannot Be Fought which is the Link/Malon I'm currently working on.


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